Thursday 11 January 2024

No 14069, Thursday 11 Jan 2024, Vidwan

Solution to 28A 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.

Open for anyone to answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS
9   Reduced envoy's qualification (7) DIPLOMA DIPLOMAt
10 Run to work (7) OPERATE [DD]
11 Tried a new school and studied (7) TRAINED {TRIED+A+N}*
12 Most aloof member heading English school (7) COLLEGE {COLd}{LEG}{En...h}
13 Doctor is great! Travels in Rolls Royce and manages university's business (9) REGISTRAR {IS+GREAT}* in {RR}
15 Work with passion to get food (5) WHEAT {W}{HEAT}
16 He performs like a wingless bird and a flying mammal (7) ACROBAT {A}{CROw}{BAT}
19 Small opening mostly seized by automobile student (7) SCHOLAR {S}{C{HOLe}AR}
20 Drink from Mexico coast (5) COCOA [T]
21 So spot cue about Krakens (9) OCTOPUSES*
25 Usual people and good place to leave your car (7) PARKING {PAR}{KIN}{G}
26 One megapixel range is better (7) IMPROVE {1}{MP}{ROVE}
28 This classy new male can be gentleman (7) E?E?A?T (Addendum - ELEGANT [CA] {(ELEGANT+N+M)*=GENTLEMAN} -  See comments)
29 Left is timed to destruct (7) OMITTED*

DOWN
1   Redo it anyway! He might say! (6) EDITOR* Semi&lit
2   Rose and managed to get into Special Protection Group (6) SPRANG {SP{RAN}G}
3   Adult avoiding resistance is a common habit (4) GOWN GrOWN
4   Work and energy! Run and walk! (6) WANDER {W}{AND}{E}{R}
5   Shows? Time for new anxieties! (8) CONCERTS CONCER(+t-n}TS
6   Shop well if excited for communion (10) FELLOWSHIP*
7   Articles cut for Spooner's send-off (8) FAREWELL (~ ware fell to farewell)
By Bhargav
8   Somehow sees term as part of the academic year (8) SEMESTER*
14 Fake babas mostly call it mystical time-off (10) SABBATICAL {BABAS}*{CALl+IT}*
16 Creep regularly acted weird? Agreed! (8) ACCEPTED {CrEeP+ACTED}*
17 Registered communist embracing revolutionary decor (8) RECORDED {RE{DECOR*}D}
18 Moving start to the end, looked for and followed the endless reflections (8) THOUGHTS {(-s)OUGHT(+s)S}<=>{THe}
22 Stumble with zero marks in the end, at the final honours exam at Cambridge (6) TRIPOS {TRIP}{0}{m..kS}
23 Starts to stitch Thor's pants! (6) SHORTS {St...h+THORS}* Pants on double duty? See comments
24 District police chief discontinues passes (6) SPENDS {SP}{ENDS}
27 One trapped in Level 2 (4) PAIR {PA{1}R}

Reference List
New = N, Work = W, Small = S, Usual = PAR = Level, Good = G, Resistance = R, Energy = E, Run = R, Time = T, New = N

37 comments:

  1. A MOVIE TO REMEMBER...

    Prasad was the GOLDEN boy of his class. Always a topper, who could draw & label the PANCREAS as neatly as parts of the EAGLE & locate ASTHABASCA on a map at the exact spot. He had acted as ULYSSES, in their school production of Odyssey. All academic FRONTIERS APPEARED to be within his reach.

    At 15, he had read all of Alistair Mclean's books. In his small Industrial town, the movie 'Guns of NAVARONE' had been released last Friday. Because his cousins had visited over the weekend, he was FORCED to go to the FUNFAIR with them and could not visit the cinemas.

    As he bid his cousins Goodbye at the STATION with a firm HAND CLASP, an idea came to him. On Tuesday, he will bunk school and see the movie. His uncle had given him 10 Rupees as a parting gift. Enough for 2 tickets.

    On Monday, just as the lunch BELLS rang, he INCHED close to his friend Darwin & shared his secret. With FEAR in his eyes, Darwin nodded like a PUPPET, as Prasad STRESSED on the need for secrecy. But unknown to them Vasu had eavesdropped. Vasu was a QUISLING who had taken a SHINER from Prasad after their last DISPUTE, over a broken cycle CHAIN. The LINOLEUM floor in their classroom, still bore SIGNs of their scuffle.

    At the end of school, Vasu approached Prasad & Darwin with a MYSTICAL expression and INSINCERE smile. USED to his SATANical ways, Prasad immediately smelt trouble. After hearing him out, PACIFIST that he was, he had to give in & agree to take Vasu too to the movie.

    It is thus that Vasu, Darwin & Prasad bunked school to see Guns of Navarone on a weekday and created a record of sorts in their small town.

    That they were caught and punished is a story for another day.


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Why the last sentence? The charm of cutting classes is lost!!

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    2. Can't twist his own ending! IPR... πŸ™‚

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    3. I read Prasad's story after your comment! Missed it yesterday.

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    4. That they were unpunished was the Darvasuprasadwin moment!

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    5. πŸ™‚
      A word to be used in the next story!

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    6. @ Gowri...well written and Nice to Prasad's school days. Golden Boy......

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    7. Continues to he do in our blog as well!!

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    8. Thanks Gowri for the nicely stitched story using yesterday's grid words!

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  2. Neat elegant CW. Enjoyed doing it.
    Thank you Vidwan- your concert was good!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes it was a lovely grid with clear clues.

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    2. +2
      Nothing obscure or exotic.

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    3. @ Paddy sir revealed it..........Elegant

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    4. Simple and elegant! Thank you Vidwan. 😊

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  3. Vladimir was not a SCHOLAR. Never went to COLLEGE.
    Now his THOUGHTS were all about how he could IMPROVE himself.
    He prayed to Rishi DURVASA, the granter of boons.
    He soon SPRANG into action.
    Joined a two SEMESTER DIPLOMA course and TRAINED himself to become an Electrician.
    What happened next?

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  4. Nice cartoon CGB sir.....looks nice

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  5. 23d start (start to sticth) thor's...
    First start anind.

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  6. Looks like the words Diploma, trained, college, registrar, scholar, fellowship and semester form a theme for this crossword.

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  7. 28a - {ge(-n)tle(-m)an}* = {ELEGANT}*
    Def.,. Classy
    new - N
    male - M
    The word 'can be' is the deletion indicator for N & M

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. (Elegant+n+m)* = gentleman
      What is the clue type? I forget.

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    2. I mentioned whole words after discaring n&m..

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    3. "Can be" Is anagram indicator not deletion indicator.
      Its represnted as
      (Elegant +n+m)* = gentleman
      Or
      CA (gentlemant-n-m)*

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    4. Good clue and a good choice by Col.

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    5. how come we discard n and m without deletion indicator. The word 'can be' considered in bothways. managed the word GETLEAN through consderaton of can be. fit in both ways. Deletion indicator promptly not given

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    6. This classy(ELEGANT) new(N) male(M) can be(anind) gentleman.
      (ELEGANT +N+M)* = GENTLEMAN
      Its a Composite anagram.

      Delete
    7. https://www.crosswordunclued.com/2011/01/composite-anagrams.html?m=1#:~:text=A%20rare%20clue%20type%20for,another%20given%20word%20or%20phrase%3F

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    8. N&M are not deleted but added to the solution word- Elegant- and jumbled (anind is 'Can be' to get Gentleman. Hence this is called Composite Anagram'.

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  8. I think 5d could be CONCERNS as well?

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  9. Time for New- Does it not indicate that T replaces N. Of course,def.can be at either end.

    ReplyDelete
  10. As already mentioned - straightforward elegant puzzle.
    My fav - FAREWELL, ACROBAT, PAIR.
    Thanx Vidwan

    ReplyDelete

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