Saturday 13 May 2023

No 13864, Saturday 13 May 2023, KrisKross

ACROSS
1   Sweetheart cycling to end of lake to meet a fellow on the other side (8) OVERLEAF {(-l)OVER(+l)L}{lakE}{A}{F}
5   You and I about to divide cash supply exactly (2,4) AS SUCH {AS{US<=}CH*}
9   American company's visual image creating uproar (8) INCIDENT {INC}{IDENT}
10 Supporters rebel against America, resulting in chaos (6) SNAFUS {FANS<=}{US}
12 States with rulers killing many for tax finally (9) EXPRESSES E(-m+x)XPRESSES
13 Increase drug (5) SPIKE [DD]
14 One jumping to escape, reportedly (4) FLEA (~flee)
16 Endlessly cheer poor student working to get rank (7) ECHELON {CHEEr}*{L}{ON}
19 Prince from European city welcomes play's first theatre manager (7) PROPMAN {P}{RO{Play}MAN}
21 Starting to laze in bed, one could be fired (4) COLT {CO{Laze}T}
24 Complain about very piercing pain (5) CAVIL {C}{A{V}IL}
25 Awkward, spinning ball must begin to hit (3,6) ALL THUMBS {BALL+MUST+Hit}*
27 Food in conferences rejected, say (6) FORAGE {FORA}{EG<=}
28 Bum living outside a bar is careful (8) VIGILANT {VIGIL{A}N*}{T}
29 Design box to store drug (6) CREATE {CR{E}ATE}
30 Exposes partners with wicked hearts (8) WEATHERS {WE}{HEARTS*}

DOWN
1   More demanding child? (6) OLIVER [GK]
2   Miss Earth's robe (6) ESCAPE {E'S}{CAPE}
3   Serve dal with extremely large spoon (5) LADLE {DAL*}{LargE}
4   Condition of associates crossing explosive mines (7) AMNESIA {A}{MINES*}{A}
6   Steward playing chess with elan (9) SENESCHAL {CHESS+ELAN}*
7   In Paris, a carriage participating in race in an illegal manner (8) UNFAIRLY {UN}{F{AIR}LY}
8   Mysterious banshees - they are said to be over the hill (3-5) HAS-BEENS*
11 Man, for example, leaving a passage (4) ISLE aISLE
15 Fame after 50 - KrisKross is heading off in joy (9) LIMELIGHT {L}{I'M}{dELIGHT}
17 Terminator, for one, filled with purpose - heartless, cold and precise (8) SPECIFIC {S{Pu...sE}CIFI}{C} Semi&lit
18 Study poetry and talk (8) CONVERSE {CON}{VERSE}
20 Play about a Biblical character (4) NOAH {NO{A}H}
21 Crash in bed, ill - occasionally rising (7) COLLIDE [T<=]
22 Easy scratching skin at the top, holding a stick (6) IMPALE {sIMP{A}LE}
23 Actually a sibling consumes this regularly (2,2,2) AS IT IS {A}{SI{ThIs}S}
26 One surrounded by many in lift (5) HOIST {HO{1}ST}

Reference List
Fellow = F, American company = INC, Many = M, Student = L, Prince = P, About = C, Very = V, Bar = T, Drug = E, Earth = E, Associate = A, A in French = UN, Carriage = AIR, 50 = L, Cold = C, Study = CON, Play = NOH

26 comments:

  1. Col, setter name is missing in the header. Request you to add it, thanks!

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  2. 1D was intended to be a CD (Oliver Twist who "asked for more" in the story), but I now realize it is pretty weak as a CD and reads more like a straight clue.

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  3. Dear all - I had written a story yday using the solution words. Kindly read it in ydays blog & give ur feedback. Thanx.

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  4. Nice weekend crossie. Found tough going in NW corner! All the same quite enjoyable. Thanks Ramki ☺️

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  5. Yes, slightly on the tougher but nevertheless enjoyable. Thank you Ramki.

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    Replies
    1. 7d Isn't unfairly different from illegal manner. A judicial verdict can be legal yet unfair.

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    2. Something illegal is always unfair - so I used that as the def. As you say, the converse may not be true sometimes - something (seen as) unfair may be legal.

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  6. A doubt about 5A- Supply is the anagrind for (cash)*

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  7. Also 10A- Snafu is confusion. Why snafus? Probably def. should be 'chaotic situations?

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    Replies
    1. Agree - "chaotic situations" would have been better.

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  8. Loved the robe of Ms.Earth!!

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  9. Nice story by Gowri in yesterday's blog.

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  10. Thanks Paddy, Ramesh & Ramki!

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  11. Fantastic grid. Motivated me to write a tailpiece. It is long and is in 4 posts.

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  12. Continuing from the tailpiece of December the time has come now to look OVERLEAF and complete the story.

    The story you may recall paused with warrior Devan and Prince Verman shipwrecked near the Vankapuri ISLE. A whole kingdom is aghast wondering if Prince Verman the Jewel of Bonni's no more. He was the darling of the masses and had hogged the LIMELIGHT amongst the royal heirs.

    His elder brother Prince Kalan is enraged upon hearing this. He suspects the hand of his old flame Mohini and her consort Vettar senior. They with other chieftains were UNFAIRLY trying to install his father's cousin Prince Madhu as the crown prince to take over from the ailing king Sundar. The king suffering from illness and bouts of AMNESIA is under their control. Kalan has no influence AS SUCH and meets Reva his sister CAVILling and swearing to invade the palace. Reva dissuades him saying that it will CREATE unnecessary confusion.

    Meanwhile, Kalan's emissary sent to Vankapuri returns reporting that his mission to bring back Prince Verman was a SNAFU due to the storm and Verman has drowned. He however could not SPECIFICally confirm the prince is dead.

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  13. Verman and Devan are rescued in a miraculous save by Kuzhali the boat girl and a dumb brave lady who HAS BEEN the prince's guardian angel and resident at Vankapuri. This lady has a striking resemblance to Mohini looking like her AS IT IS save for her grey hair. Sick Verman is placed under care in a Buddhist monastery. The monks cure him with herbal remedies served in a special LADLE.

    Devan goes to meet Reva at the palace. He CONVERSEs with the boatman and learns from him of the strange dumb lady and the secret birth of Mohini to her. En route, while FORAGing for food he COLLIDEs with the enemy rebels, overpowered tied, and gagged. Pretending to be unconscious he overhears them discussing a plan to assassinate the royal heirs. Devan is shocked to see Mohini is a part of this. She meets Devan and unties him. Recovering he relates to Mohini the INCIDENT of seeing a dumb elderly lady at Vankapuri who looks like her and is her mother. A moved Mohini releases Devan with the condition that he meets Prince Kalan and conveys her invitation to the prince for attending a meeting of chieftains at Dambur.

    Devan sets forth to the palace in a speedy COLT and meets Princess Reva giving her all the info including the news that Verman is alive. Reva delighted immediately meets her father King Sundar and conveys this to him. This is like a SPIKE of medicine and the King is momentarily energized. Reva seizes the opportunity and learns of the relationship of the king with the dumb lady who rescued Prince Verman.

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  14. News spreads that Jewel of Bonni is alive. The enemies also learn of this and try to kill Prince Verman. But he fights valiantly and uses his skill in herding elephants to HOIST his assailant and ESCAPE riding to the palace in the elephant.

    The 3 siblings and Devan meet and exchange info. Devan conveys Mohini's invitation. Kalan despite risks EXPRESSES his wish to go to Dambur saying he will be VIGILANT.

    The enemies remind Mohini of her promise to kill Prince Kalan. Arriving at Dambur
    Kalan makes a deal with Vettar Senior the PROPMAN of the chieftains to give up the crown to Madhu with rights over areas conquered by him. He meets his old flame Mohini in a passionate encounter he CONVERSES hotly with her and finally forces her to IMPALE her sword into his body and dies. Mohini is led away by the rebels. However, Devan who comes to save Kalan is caught near his body and accused of being the killer. Witnessing all this the infatuated Vetter senior the seniormost in the ECHELONS of Chola chieftains realizes his folly.

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  15. Another gang attempts to kill King Sundar at the palace. The mysterious dumb lady in a dramatic appearance saves the king by sacrificing her life. She has been an admirable SENESCHAL to the royals.

    King Sundar calls for an assembly with Prince Verman, Princess Reva, his ministers, and some chieftains in attendance. A guard brings the accused Devan. Vetter Senior appears now and explains Deva's innocence and his folly. This WEATHERS the storm. Prince Madhu arrives to join the gathering. Meanwhile, the enemy's army trying to exploit the situation invades. All the warriors gather together and defeat the enemy in a bitter fight. At the end of the battle, King Sundar is about to crown his son Verman as crown prince. Verman sidesteps and announces that this is the time for Prince Madhu his uncle and senior. He gets all to agree and Madhu is made crown prince. ALL THUMBS are up showing agreement.

    This tale sounding similar to an epic of the performing FLEA of Tamil literature is inspired by a good movie and an excellent crossword.

    Thanks, Krisskross for stirring up our imagination.

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  16. Wow - loved the tailpiece that managed to fit in the grid words into the story most of us are aware of! Thanks Ramesh.

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  17. Finished only now. Great Ramesh!

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