Solution to 10D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.
ACROSS
1 Thrilling and highly gripping film (6) GANDHI [T]
4 Infrequent shocks reported (6) SCARCE (~scares)
9 Clubs’ guarantee drawing criticism (7) CENSURE {C}{ENSURE}
11 Met guy, in awe, at her mansion (10) WEATHERMAN [T]
12 Excellent article about Old English (1-3) A-ONE {A{O}N}{E}
13 Get painter’s source of oil (5) COPRA {COP}{RA}
16 It’s a term perhaps for abuse (8) MISTREAT*
18 A means of directing commands, say (5) REINS (~reigns)
20 Separate piece (4) PART [DD]
21 Designed to reflect (10) DELIBERATE [DD]
23 Work backward to bury evidence (7) POINTER {OP<=}{INTER}
25 This resort town’s temperature is most pleasant (6) NICEST {NICE'S}{T}
26 Guy taking time to provide chinaware (3,3) TEA SET{TEASE}{T}
DOWN
1 Evaluate university in good time (5) GAUGE {G}{A{U}GE}
2 Continuously running between poles at first (7) NONSTOP {N}{ON}{S}{TOP}
3 Chose rare sort of a contest (5,4) HORSE RACE*
5 Basically chic, thin and neat (5) CLEAN {Chic}{LEAN}
6 Pick up paintings after break (7) RESTART {ART}<=>{REST}
7 Wrong user or one mistaken (9) ERRONEOUS*
10 Nothing big comes of this exchange (5,4) ?M?L? T?L? (Addendum - SMALL TALK [CD] - See comments)
13 With Canon made a movie (9) CHINATOWN*
15 Think new, be the first to reinvent/create (9) CEREBRATE {BE+The+CREATE}* Is the Anind in the right place? (Addendum - {BE+The+Re...t+CREATE}* - See comments)
19 Advances into Greek Island, say (7) INROADS (~in rhodes)
21 Clothing label needing no advertisement (5) DRESS adDRESS
22 Mostly liking nothing in brown (5) TOAST {T{0}ASTe}
Reference List
Good = G, Clubs = C, Old = O, English E, Painter = RA, Universal = U, Temperature = T, Time = T, University = U, Advertisement = AD
A HISTORIC ROMANCE
ReplyDeleteKing Alexander IV of Sparta had 3 sons and one daughter. His daughter Athena was a rare combination of beauty and brains. Although she was no CINDERELLA, her nature & demeanor was so kind, that she was the SWEETHEART of the entire nation.
A poetess, fluent in various forms of Greek, her works were considered by many to be on par with those written by Homer & Sophocles. As word of her beauty & talent spread, many Princes & Kings came asking for her hand.
While some of the suitors were great AFICIONADOs of her work, others were besotted by her beauty. Even the worst NEMESIS of Sparta was READY to offer his ARSENAL to aid the King in his wars, in exchange for her hand. There were others willing to enter into all sorts of CONCORDATS, if only she would accept their proposal. But Athena refused to look TWICE at any of her suitors & DOWNRIGHT OUSTed them.
As she entered her twenties, the King became very worried. Not only was he scared of being EXSCINDED by his neighbouring Kings, he was also unable to comprehend his daughter's MOTTO. He was sure that she was making an ERROR in her judgement. But being her father's darling, he knew she would not be able to WITHSTAND any ADMONITION.
The reason for Athena's behaviour was known only to her close friend & companion Helena. Right from the time, she turned 10, Athena had a recurring dream. In her dream, it is always a full moon day, where even the bright shining moon can not dim the star VEGA, shining bright in its constellation. Helena & Athena go horse riding & stop near the Edessa WaterFALLS. There with the gleaming waterfall in the backdrop, they meet an ORION, complete with his belt & sword SCOURED to a bronze finish. He is so handsome with bulging biceps & six packs & a luminescent skin that requires no TANNING. Just as Athena, mesmerised by his looks, is about to call out to him, the dream would end.
Without failure, this dream recurred week after week & always ended before Athena could speak out. Athena was so much in love with this ORION, that she started writing only because of him. She composed romantic ballads for him & always imagined singing them aloud to him. She also wrote epics depicting his travels & exploits & his conquests of the world. So ENSNARLED was she in her web of fantasy, that she could not imagine falling in love with anybody else. Even though she knew nothing about him, he BESTIRRED the wildest of passions in her.
And then it happened. Around mid year, Helena & Athena went horse riding. It was a full moon night & there was a sudden thunder storm. They lost their way. Suddenly they found themselves in front of the Edessa FALLS & there he was. Athena could not believe her eyes. This was no dream! All her TRAVAILS had come to an end & she almost SOBBED with disbelief. But before she could call out to him, he mounted his chestnut steed & rode off in a flash.
Without wasting a minute, Athena & Helena rode towards the palace. Early next morning, Athena approached the King & told him about her dream. She wanted her father to send out his men in all directions & locate her dream lover. She dismissed her father's concern that the ORION may be an ordinary commoner. She felt that in her life with her paramour, she had no need for AUREAL jewels. She could even live with basic AMENITIES & survive on a diet of VISCERA of ORMERS. All she wanted was to sing out to him, the special ballad of 144 verses, in beautiful Homeric Greek, one verse written per month for the last 12 years, since she saw him first in her dream.
ReplyDeleteTo her joy & the King's relief, the ORION was indeed a Prince. He was Cassander, son of Demetrios, who ruled over a small Province under the kingdom of Thebes. King Alexander sent his messengers across & soon a grand wedding was planned.
Athena spent more time rewriting her ballad in cursive, in a golden book - her wedding gift to her husband, than even in choosing her wedding costume. The gala event was a great success & her first night was to be in a special gazebo near the Edessa falls.
Decked in her fineries, with the Book of Ballads in her hand, she approached her husband. In her melodious voice, she sang the opening lines. Seeing his blank look, she demurely tried to explain. About her dream, her twelve year long love for him & about the beautiful verse. 'Quid dicis?' (What are you saying?) said Cassander.
On hearing Latin, Athena felt as though Mt. ETNA had erupted on her. She realised her Prince knew no Greek. Of Roman origin on his mother's side, all he could utter was a volley of Latin! All along, she had concentrated on his looks, never imagining his tongue would be so alien, an ANTONYM to her beautiful Greek.
Although, today we talk of Greek & Latin in the same breath, they are indeed separate languages with nothing in common.
Adapted from a Short Story in Tamil by writer Sujath
What, evolving? Already evolved; should start serious writing,I am sure!
DeleteNice story Gowri....Sujatha's stories are beyond mind sets. so, will set my timings after 10 PM for CW & Tale.
Delete15DN first letter is R from Reinvent
ReplyDelete+1 (be+r+create), new
DeleteThanks KKR
DeleteThank you Gowri for spinning a tale with my words! It's a pity, neither the Prince nor the princess knew a common language.
ReplyDelete10d. SMALL TALK..nothing great is small
ReplyDeleteExchange is talk. So CD
Thanks to Ajeesh for pointing out. Please have a look at yday's puzzle. Vidwan's. Go to 13A and click Show Hint
ReplyDeleteI had no problem yesterday with this clue and "show hint" was available at the time of solving.
DeleteHowever, I noticed the same missing for 5 Down clue. It was flashing message that no hint was available for this clue then. But till now, it neither has this message nor the hint.
Just checked, there are many clues where the Crossword editor has no clue about the annotation
DeleteThat has been the case since day1. Not all clues had the anno
DeleteSorry it's 11A. For idiotic
DeleteOh that! No way I've that Id****c to respond on that.
DeleteBut if anyone could give anno, I would be enlightened one.
What a long story (hint), by we all know who, for an annotation.
DeleteThree movie titles.
ReplyDeleteWas foxed by 11A!
+1
Deleteguy in her mansion - was clever
A request-
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine is compiling a table of antonyms for teaching young kids. He wants the exact antonym of 'Nature'. He says antonym of Natural is artificial. Along these lines,he wants for the noun Nature.
Suggestions please.
Antonym of natural is unnatural, manmade.
ReplyDeleteArtificial is used more as an antonym for genuine, real etc.
Nature is a noun. Not all nouns (especially abstract ones) have antonyms - IMO.
Like hunger, thirst, divinity etc
1 unnatural
Delete2 acquired
3 artificial, man-made, synthetic
4 affected, disingenuous, contrived
Above are from Chambers Thesaurus
Thank u KKR.
ReplyDeleteFor Nature?
My bad, i gave it for NATURAL
DeleteNone in Thesaurus for NATURE
If it is in Thesaurus I will not trouble you!
DeleteI wanted some 'out of the box' suggestion.
I have suggested- artificiality,imitation. Anything better?
Artificiality & imitation are not antonyms for nature. Not by a long stretch. Becos their context is completely different.
DeleteIMO.
Paddy, By definition, Human(/s) is the antonym of nature.
DeleteHow? Then what will Human nature mean?
DeleteHuman is an adj. Maybe man made.
DeleteIf you mean human being,it is again incorrect to say we are against nature. We do act that way many times!
the phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the landscape, and other features and products of the earth,
Deleteas "opposed" to humans or human creations.
That's the def of nature.
DeleteRe 1A, why Gandhi, could be any other film. The clue is not convincing, it appears. any comments?
ReplyDeleteGripping is a Telescopic indicator. If one can find another movie within "thrilling and high', it could be.
DeleteCol. has marked T letters in pink in his original blog.
Delete@cdrgani29 - Sir, thought that’s a great clue. Not sure why it is not convincing!
DeleteNice grid. My fav -
ReplyDeleteWEATHERMAN, SMALL TALK, CEREBRATE.
Thanx.
Learnt a new meaning for guy= tease.
1 a onion repeated refusals on on
ReplyDelete