Saturday 18 December 2021

No 13431, Saturday 18 Dec 2021, Afterdark

Rangoli by Gowri

ACROSS

1 Software application, one unknown branch of science (6) BOTANY {BOT}{AN}{Y}
4 Unlimited light, gas used for a dish (6) HAGGIS {lIGHt+GAS*}

9 Principal Wankhede anonymously held (4) DEAN (T)
10 Aiming rail? For a change sending letter by plane (10) AIRMAILING {AIMING+RAIL*}
11 Songs on South African city... (6) ODESSA {ODES}{SA}
12 ... conceived by a magazine editor about a nationalist (8) IMAGINED {I}{MAG}{I}{N}{ED}
13 Few drinks and dance... (3-3-3) CHA-CHA-CHA {CHA}{CHA}{CHA}
15 ... basically bringing everyone to party (4) BALL {Bringing}{ALL}
16 Kick Brown good (4) TANG {TAN}{G}
17 Primarily poetic licence to display inanity (9) PLATITUDE {Poetic}{LATITUDE}
21 Communists perhaps, on port wresting off break (4,4) LEFT WING {LEFT}{WrestING}
22 Stress on changing name quietly? Acknowledge (6) ACCEPT {ACCE(-n+P)T}
24 An air-base destroyed, one near Mumbai (7,3) ARABIAN  SEA {AN+AIR+BASE*}{A}
25 Part of church where by oversight, corner is demolished (4) APSE {lAPSE}
26 Setter’s line scrubbed with tissue (6) MYELIN {MY}{LINE*}
27 Society’s understanding is insignificant (6) SLIGHT {S}{LIGHT}

DOWN

1 Understand book first, take time (hour) to gain latitude (7) BREADTH {B}{READ}{T}{H}
2 Containers // seen in battlefields (5) TANKS (DD)
3 Commander, say, held by unstable Rani, falls (7) NIAGARA {RANI*} around {AGA}
5 Artists repeatedly hide in a tunnel mainly in a mountain (6) ARARAT {A}{RA}{RA}{Tunnel}
6 One victor in fearless Rome reportedly (9) GALLIVANT {GALL{I}{V}ANT} 
7 Fish found in South and East direction on lake (4,3) SAND EEL {S}{AND}{E}{E}{L}
8 Say, Salim Ali is shooting riot in disguise around central Tamil Nadu (13) ORNITHOLOGIST {SHOOTING+RIOT*} around {tamiLnadu}
14 Police officers uniform taken by crook (9) CONSTABLE {CON}{STABLE}
16 Statement in articlemore confusion (7) THEOREM {THE}{MORE*}
18 Art movement’s against pain and effort (7) TRAVAIL {ART*}{V}{AIL}
19 Payment of French given to Gulf for procuring windows, perhaps (7) DEPOSIT {DE}{P{OS}IT}
20 City police officer in protection of Goddess (6) KIGALI {K{IG}ALI} 
23 Old tennis player caught, to be suspended (5) CHANG {C}{HANG} Suspended seems to suggest hanged/hung and not hang


 Reference List

Software application=Bot, One=An, Unknown=Y, South African=SA, A=I, Magazine=Mag, Editor=Ed, A=I, Nationalist=N, Good=G, Port=Left, Name=N, Quietly=P, One=A, Setter's=My, Society=S
Book=B, Time=T, Hour=H, Artists=RA, One=I, Victor=V, South=S, East=E, Direction=E, Lake=L, Article=The, Against=V, Of French=De, Windows perhaps=OS, Police Officer=IG, Caught=C

Colour/Font Scheme

DefinitionSolutionComponent lettersEmbedded linksTheme word Reference list wordAnagram IndicatorC/C indicatorReversal IndicatorHidden word IndicatorLetter Pick indicatorDeletion IndicatorHomophone IndicatorMovement IndicatorPositional IndicatorSubstitution, IndicatorOpposite indicatorLink/Connector, Extraneous

48 comments:

  1. BACK TO ROMANCE!!

    Joshua Whitman, had always been fond of birds, animals & even insects, since the time he was a small boy. Orphaned at a very young age, he had been brought up by his bachelor UNCLE SAM Whitman.

    In his teenage years, Joshua wanted to be a vet. But his uncle said a flat No. Not that Sam was STINGY. Just that the MEAGRE funds in his EXCHEQUER just couldn't afford the expenses of a college education.

    At that time, Joshua was so upset, that he thought his uncle was the worst ANTI HERO he had ever seen. But his FREE WHEELING spirit did not allow him to hold a grudge for long. So putting his CONSTERNATION aside, he decided to READDRESS the issue of his future life & career. His AXIOM was clear. He wanted a job which involved animals directly. He knew any other career would only spell TEDIUM in the long run.

    His good fortune, the San Diego Zoo was hiring help hands, around the same time. The Zoo, one of the largest in the country, was easily the most exciting place he had visited RECURRENTLY as a child. Spread across more than 100 acres, the zoo housed more than 12000 animals of over 650 species. These ranged from the small insects like TIGER MOTH to mammoth elephants & hippos. Joshua was amongst the 7 boys who got selected. So with great enthusiasm, he threw himself into his 10 hour day work schedule.

    At that time, the chief attraction of the Zoo was the family of bobcats, brought all the way from the TAIGA forests. Bobcats, though similar to OCELOTS in many ways, are more adaptable to changes in environment & hence preferred for keeping in zoos.
    Along with a group of OUNCES, they were managed by Harold Soyinka, a GRINGO, originally from Mexico. Joshua would have given his right hand to become Harold's assistant. But no such luck!

    His job was to feed the 6 whales in the Sea park. Additionally, he had to ensure that the water in the large artificial lake was kept clean of debris. Joshua was especially fascinated by the 3 BALEEN whales there. When he learnt, how these whales use their BALEENS (teeth) as a filter mechanism for trapping their prey from sea water, he was so impressed, that he often shared this information with the visitors to the zoo.

    This is how he got introduced to Edna. Edna was a shop assistant, who worked in a mall across from the zoo's main entrance. For lack of anything better to do, she bought the monthly entry pass to the zoo & visited it every day, during her lunch hour. Meeting Joshua on & off, she was impressed by his knowledge of & love for the animals. However, when after 6 months, he asked her out on a date, she politely declined.

    Just before the onset of winter, one of the oldest bobcats Huma developed a skin infection. Common amongst felines, it was similar to XERODERMA & caused them to have ITCHY skin & irascible temperament. The primary treatment for this was a herbal medication prepared from BUTCHERS BROOM, but the healing process was slow.

    On a Friday afternoon, just before NOEL, the crowd in the zoo was thin. The YEARLY holidays had begun & many of the staff at the zoo were off visiting their families. Richard, Harold's main assistant was miffed, because his leave application had been rejected. In his preoccupation, he did not bolt & lock the Bobcat Zone properly. Huma escaped & Edna, the lone visitor in the area, at that time was caught completely off guard.

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  2. Normally, even the wildest of animals, once they are brought into the zoo, are familiar with humans & their predisposition to attack human beings gets dulled, over time. However Huma was highly irritable, due to her infection & ERUPTING out of her enclosure, she leapt across the artificial moat, landing within 200m from Edna. Edna was so frightened, that she froze. Fortunately, she did not scream or frighten Huma in any way. The skeletal staff did not know what to do, as Huma started skirting around Edna.

    When Joshua heard the news, he immediately jumped into their local TAXI & reached the bobcat zone in no time. Assessing the situation, TO WIT: he knew what needed to be done. He asked Richard to fetch him an AIR RIFLE, loaded with the anaesthetic pellets, used for putting the wild life to sleep. Then climbing onto the IBEAM of the Supervisor's cabin, he took aim. Carefully pulling the CLEAT away, he parked 8 bullets into Huma. Caught unaware, she swung this way & that a few times & dropped to the ground in 5 minutes.

    Someone had already fetched Harold & the zoo vet Dr. Barnard. As everybody was attending to Huma, Joshua approached Edna, who still hadn't moved an inch. Seeing him, she fell into his arms & swooned.

    That night, they had their first date in his apartment. He served her a SCRAG END, with a filling of CREAM & sausage, a special recipe that had apparently belonged to his mother.

    Today, 6 years down the line, Joshua is the main care taker of the Bob cat Zone & the zoo has agreed to sponsor his Veterinary Medicine degree. He plans to begin college, next spring, the same time Huma, his & Edna's daughter will be beginning her pre school.

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  3. 23d hang
    suspend or be suspended from above with the lower part dangling free.

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  4. Coincidently 5d was clued in yesterday's FT(FT16971, Bradman) as:
    Two artists coming in at a landing-stage (6)

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  5. Thanq dear Mr. Afterdark for enlightening me with three new words - HAGGIS (4-A), ARARAT (5-D) & KIGALI (20-D).
    Well, unlike the last two days, this morning managed to solve 18 of the clues.

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  6. Many Happy Returns of the Day! Happy Birthday Col. Gopinath!

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  7. Colonel!!!!Happy Birthday!!! & many many happy returns of the day!!!

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  8. Happy Birthday & Many Happy returns of the Day,Col.
    Glad it was a Saturday & your day off!

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  9. Many Happy Returns of the Day, Colonel Sir! 🎉

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  10. Please look up Face Book for Col.'s pictures

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  11. YPPAH
    YPPAH
    YPPAH
    .....
    YPPAH
    YPPAH
    Col Gopinath
    💐💐💐

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  12. Cryptic way of saying Happy returns!! Nice.

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    Replies
    1. Do you remember Paddy? Our beloved friend Raju also used to write SNRUTER on these occasions!

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    2. Snorter? Yes! Very much. Nice occasion to remember him.

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    3. Snorter (British slang)- Something outstandingly impressive.

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  13. Happy birthday and many more happy returns of the day Colonel

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  14. Afterdark never disappoints!My fa ourites 22a 24a and 14d.

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  15. Happy Birthday Colonel Sahb. May God bless you with health and happiness in the years to come too. 🙏

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  16. Many many happy returns of the day, Colonel Sir.Stay blessed.

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  17. Col. Saab
    On the occasion of Your Cherished B-Day, let me join all others in Greeting You with Bountiful Wishes for All Your Aspirations to come True..... And though I am far away in New Delhi, I will raise the toast for you this evening... Cheers!!!
    Take Care-n-Stay Safe...

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  18. A very happy birthday Col
    Have a gr8 day.

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  19. Many happy returns of the day Colonel. Wish you the best of the season.

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  20. MANY MORE HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY TO COL.SIR. I JUST VIEWING ALL THREADS. SORRY FOR LATE GREETINGS

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