Gridman retires

As I had mentioned in the regular post of today, I am reiterating the same here.

Gridman who is undoubtedly the most liked and revered setter among all the setters for The Hindu Crosswords, besides being the longest serving setter. It is unfortunate for all of us that he had to take this decision due to health issues. We will definitely miss him as a setter but I am sure he will continue to guide us with his comments.

Please do leave a comment in the comments section about your interactions with him as also anything else that you wuld like to add.

Gridman aka Chaturvasi aka CV has been the pillar of The Hindu Crosswords and each and every one of us will miss his Crosswords.

I on behalf of all of us respect his decision and wish him all the best for the years to come.

Sunday Special, 23 Feb 20, Contributed

Max of three clues per solver.

Across

1 Get on with a gentleman on Greek island frittering away afternoon (3,2,3)

5 Second long-distance runner is a happy sort (6)

9 The reference is to a learner, ‘soul in torment’ (8)

10 Expert gets suitable gain (6)

12 Rank achieved by palace attendant finally (4)

13 Between boy and girl there’s no reasoning (10)

15 City hangout is sweet (6)

17 Uncle back working as construction worker (5)

20 Speech has no tips on proportion (5)

21 Noted invader mentioned a guiding tool (6)

24 Stop! Trouble at the end of a couple of streets (5,5)

27 Boyfriend breaks tip off nice-looking object (4)

29 Dullards Amin and the drunken sot meet (6)

30 Boy spins around in Greek island group (8)

31 Look on bore reflectively (6)

32 No quarters given twice to balderdash (8)

Down

1 Hot soil in home (6)

2 He counts as a bank employee (6)

3 Examine international cricket match? (4)

4 Insubstantial stuff from female writer (5)

6 Societal norms code developer twisted at last (5)

7 Hoist father aboard with skier’s permit (4,4)

8 Attempting once more for a second hearing (8)

11 College head and learner tear around to make wine (6)

14 Repeat from stable chorister (4)

16 Looks forward to a week with a SIT round (6)

17 Bigot’s slipper? (4)

18 More shaggy British Russian’s more bashful (8)

19 Inform about bird taking away secretly (8)

22 Show me the way to deceive (4,2)

23 Chase union leader coming into money (6)

25 Active person has time to be mollycoddler (5)

26 Taylor endlessly working to apply with vigour (3,2)

28 The sign of the summer? (4)

Satyen Nabar's Sun Spl analysed

Solution to last Sun Spl

I invite readers to add Comments if any in the light of clue-sol-WP-cluetype marshalled together here. A sample Comment I have added below. Please be constructive even in any criticism. (E&OE) Clue	Sol	WP	Clue type
8 and 11 Palmist's instruction - Reveal intentions	SHOW ONES HAND	NA	DD
9   Reserves to practise during intervals (10)	RESTRAINTS	RES(TRAIN)S	Container-content
10 Throws out failures? Not right (6)	EJECTS	rEJECTS	Del: head off
11 See 8	NA	NA	NA
12 Opposed to a drink (4)	AGIN	A GIN	Charade
13 Employing disheartened amateur winsomely (10)	ENGAGINGLY	ENGAGING LaY	Cha w del
17 Briefly luxurious asset (4)	PLUS	NA	Del: Tail off
18 Leader ignored safe approach (5)	COFFER	cOFFER	Del: Head off
19 Discard the actors (4)	CAST	NA	DD
20 Instructs one to delete documents with changes (10)	TRANSFORMS	TRAiNS FORMS	Cha w del
22 Pretentious talk of market optimist (4)	BULL	NA	DD
23 Dressing laggards with best clothes (4, 4)	GLAD RAGS	NA	Anagram
27 Working with urgency to make career (6)	ONRUSH	ON RUSH	Charade
28 Extremely unemotional in uniform? That's a doctor (10)	CONSULTANT	NA	Container-content w del
29 Long in the water with evasive people (4)	EELS	Not clear	Unclassified
1   See 14	NA	NA	NA
2   Unsolicited opinion of very little value (3, 5)	TWO CENTS	NA	DD
3   Runs in to have sex? Dismisses curtly (7, 3)	BRUSHES OFF	B(RUSHES)OFF	Container-content
4   Some aficionados lounging at city (4)	OSLO	aficionodOSLOunging	Hidden
5   Time to regret being faithful (4)	TRUE	T-rue	Charade
6   Transfer is rejected with brief call (6)	SIPHON	SI<-PHON(e)	Cha w rev and del
7   Pugilist under pressure contributes to knock one senseless (4)	STUN	pugiliSTUNder	Hidden
14 and 1D Attack fiercely and advance towards pitcher who’s breaking a rule cunningly (2, 3, 3, 7)	GO FOR THE JUGULAR	GOFORTHE-JUG-(ULAR-e)*	Cha with del-cum-anag
15 Lass searches for young women’s organisation (4, 6)	GIRL SCOUTS	GIRL SCOUTS	Cha
16 Lacking agenda, lackey content to leave unenthusiastically (10)	LISTLESSLY	NA	Cha w del
19 Obscurely perverse lacking soul perhaps, intimacy can be a net attraction (8)	CYBER SEX	(OBSCURELY - SOUL)*-SEX	Cha w del
21 Practice of abandoning habits? (6)	NUDISM	NA	CD
24 Spoils machine in retrospect (4)	LOOT	NA	Reversal
25 Colleague lawfully removes member (4)	ALLY	legALLY	Deletion:letters off
26 Speak roughly to break zest (4)	SNAP	NA	Multiple def

No 11578, Friday 18 Dec 2015, Arden

   

Across

  1 Study the ground and link it to game (8,6)  CONTRACT BRIDGE :: Charade of CON TRACT and BRIDGE

10  Keen observer gets an excellent score (5) EAGLE :: DD

11  Dried skin? People wrap dry towel on top (9) PARCHMENT :: MEN in PARCH T

12  Church gets one to serve (7) MINSTER :: If I is included in MINSTER, you get Minister (v.) serve

13  Basic skill in Bridge (7) SPARTAN :: ART in SPAN

14  Retracing, some we serrate and stitch again (5) RESEW :: rev hidden in somE WE SERrate

16  Military science nicely overlooked -- making truce (9) ARMISTICE ::  Deleting NICELY from  MILITARYSCIENCE and jumbling the rest

19  Ban study? It's banned (9) FORBIDDEN :: Cha of  FORBID DEN

20  It's logical to go out and find a flower (5) LILAC :: Deleting GO from LOGICAL and jumbling the rest

22  Collects inside information, rejects savings (4,3) NEST EGG :: Put GETS in GEN and reverse the result GGETSEN

25  Local part defective, gets low review (7) TAPROOM ::  cha of anag of PART and rev of MOO (v., to low, to bellow)

27  Pantry, however has space (5,4) STILL ROOM :: Cha of STILL and ROOM

28  Pacific Island adds bit of spice to an Indian delicacy (5) SAMOA :: If you insert S in SAMOA you get SAMOSA 

29  Battle arena for those wishing to unite (10,4) ENGAGEMENT RING :: Cha of ENGAGEMENT and RING

Down

   2  Official promoting some resin  -- a grouting (9) ORGANISER :: rev hidden inRESIN A GROuting

   3  River / trip... (5) TRENT :: DD

   4  ...and a man on the beach holds each (9) AMPERSAND :: PER in A M SAND

   5  Doughnut for example -- it's rejected by foreign tourists (5) TORUS :: deleting ITS from TOURISTS and jumbling the rest

   6  What one picks up during genuine practice (9) REHEARSAL :: HEARS in REAL

   7  Lived and died with a mark (5) DWELT :: cha of D and WELT

   8  Come in shortly, note absence of love and understanding (7) ENTENTE :: Cha of ENTE[r] and NTE, after delting O from Note

   9  Where a merchant keeps a tool (6) REAMER ::  hidden in wheRe A MERchant

 15  We get hit and lose strength for showing peaceful intentions (5,4) WHITE FLAG :: HIT in WE plus FLAG (v.):: 

 17  Dwarf packs a lot of destructive power (9) :: Answer and anno to be provided by any reader

 18  Ellan Vannin's son -- if male by accident (4,2,3) ISLE OF MAN :: anag of SON IF MALE

 19  Diplomacy is a tricky manoeuvre (7) FINESSE :: DD

 21  War film about doctor (6) COMBAT :: COAT going around MB

 23  Smart / cheat (5) STING ;; DD

 24  Finally, living space for a life partner (5) GROOM :: cha of [livin]G ROOM

 26  Question / a model (5) POSER :: DD

GRID

No 11418, Thursday,11 Jun 2015, xChequer

I told the Colonel yesterday that I would write today's blog so that he can have a hassle-free journey to CBE. At his destination, he might perhaps tackle this crossword unhurriedly. 

I invite reader participation in this blog. Please see queries/suggestions below.

Across

7 Successive punches numbering a dozen (3-3) ONE-TWO :: I didn't bend down to buckle my shoe; I think 12 (ignoring the hyphen) gives 'a dozen'; 'successive punches' are lost on me. What indeed is the def. here? Reader comment welcome

8 Alarm spread by legend - empty talk (8) MALARKEY :: (ALARM)*KEY :: 'key' / 'legend' as in maps and charts

9 Crude oil's end overcoming universal misconception (8) DELUSION :: U in (OILSEND)*

10 Radical breaks result in cinch (6) ENSURE :: Anno to be provided by any reader (Addendum - R in ENSUE - See comments)

11 Embroiled chief of company controls anger (5) MIRED ::  IRE in MD

12 Leader leaving Oriental behind (6) ASTERN :: deleting E from Eastern

14 Easy pickings with little effort involved, poorly done from beginning to end (5,3,3,4) MONEY FOR OLD ROPE :: new phrase for me; there are many old ropes lying around and I must try exchanging them for dollars  ::had to do some paper work for the anno - (POORLYDONEFROM)* plus E (beginning to 'end')

17 Runs in, smashes, goes off (6) BURSTS :: R from runs in BUSTS

18 Arbitrary command in Alaska backfiring in operation (5) UKASE :: rev of AK in USE

22 Composite picture of seaman first class wearing medal (6) MOSAIC :: M (OS AI)C

23 Concerning the patient man at work (2,3,3) ON THE JOB (ref. to the Biblical character) :: In a crossword that I set recently, I wrote a clue for this very phrase but I am now unable to recall the WP that I used.Thank God for this short memory, for clues in my crosswords or others' still have freshness

24 Souvenirs essentially to recollect moments gone past (8) MEMENTOES MEMENTOS ::  I see where the setter is coming from but.. Anno to be provided by any reader (Addendum - [souv]E[nirs] in anag of MOMENTS and an &lit - See comments)

25 Revolutionary medicine provided a stimulus (6) FILLIP :: rev of PILL IF

Down

1 One with right to receive, maybe heir to one essentially? (9) INHERITOR :: anag of HEIRTO [o]N[e]

2 Harmonize VAT in consumed food (6) ATTUNE :: Anno to be provided by any reader (Addendum - TUN in ATE - See comments)

3 Reportedly stitch top having three dimensions (5) SOLID :: hom. of 'sew' plus LID :: Don't think of women's tops. Are there tops for men?

4 Sad ringer made a bloomer (8) BLUEBELL :: straight cha. of blue bell :: Can we put a comma after 'sad' and slightly empathise with the church official?

5 Publicity is about queen becoming hostage (8) PRISONER :: cha of PR is on ER

6 Picked up acceleration, drove around (5) HEARD :: a in herd 

8 Scaled-down way to distribute society's aid (13) MINISTRATIONS :: Had to think a little for the anno but no prob. :: cha of mini st. ration s

13 Occasional small photo included when stylish (9) SPASMODIC :: as mod in s pic :: I had first seen the anno wrongly but checked myself later

15 Need intermittently suppressed, married couple hugged (8) EMBRACED :: m. brace in [n]E[e]D

16 Set fire to colony evacuated in violence (8) FEROCITY :: Anno to be provided by any reader (Addendum - Anag of TO and FIRE and C[olon]Y See comments

19 Cry left mouth of youth with enthusiasm (6) KEENLY :: cha of keen L Y :: The surface reading doesn't seem to make much sense, does it?

20 Chap's tense with desire (5) COVET :: cha of cove T

21 Formal body (5) STIFF :: DD :: stiff,  not just the upper lip, Kishore?

No 11332, Tuesday 03 Mar 2015, xChequer

Across

7      Fine offer attracting soldiers to bar (6) FORBID - F (OR) BID - C/C

8      Eagerness of a councillor uniting ordinary people (8) ALACRITY - Anno to be given by any reader (Addendum - {A}{LA{CR}ITY} - See comments)

9      Uplifting song with and without a curse (8) ANATHEMA - AN(A)THEM A - C/C cum cha

10    Run from either side keeping dead straight (6) LADDER - L (DEAD)*R - C/C with anag

11    Temperamental doctor, oddly absent at intervals (5) MOODY - MO O[d]D[l]Y - Cha with letter   picking

12    Permit to trap local bird (6) LINNET - L(INN)ET - C/C

14    Dilemma in front of others, not prepared to pledge loyalty in marriage (6,4,5) PLIGHT ONE'S TROTH - PLIGHT (OTHERSNOT)* - Cha with anag

17    Continue summary (6) RESUME - Two meanings

18    This aunt gives advice for pain (5) AGONY - AGONY [aunt] - Elliptical

22    Affair around the palm tree (6) RAFFIA - (AFFAIR)* - Anag

23    Unusual thing, flying close to sound barrier (4,4) RARE BIRD - Anno to be given by any reader (Addendum - {sounD+BARRIER}* - See comments)

24    Instrument to cut, trim and also pound (4,4) EDGE TOOL - EDGE TOO L (pound, the currency) - Cha

25    Gradually collects in area between valleys (6) GLEANS - GLE(A)NS - C/C

Down

1      Sentimental about toy, a decorative figure in straw (4,5) CORN DOLLY - CORN(DOLL)Y -  C/C

2      Sailor dined and died - sank (6) ABATED - AB ATE D - Cha

3      Did extremely little at work? (5) IDLED - CD (Addendum - {DID+LittlE}* &lit - See comments)

4      Enterprise sheltering large and small pets (8) DARLINGS - DAR(L)ING S - C/C cum cha

5      One owed praise for cancelling function (8)  CREDITOR - CREDIT OR - Cha (Addendum - {CREDIT}{fOR} - See comments)
 *** Do you think the def, as it appears, is quite apt?

6     Sheer pace overcoming one in the end (5) STEEP - ST(E)EP - C/C

8     Digital representation of exceptionally rare animal cub? (6,7) ARABIC NUMERAL -    RAREANIMALCUB)* - Anag

13   Travelling in time through Tintin comic (9) ITINERANT - ERA in (TINTIN)* - C/C with anag

15   Beasts (howlers) eating bird without wings (8) GIRAFFES - G([b]IR[d])AFFES - C/C with letter picking

16   Person willing to check upcoming duty list (8) TESTATOR -  TEST ATOR<- - Cha with rev

19   Spit obstruction in wine glass (6) GOBLET - GOB LET - Cha

20   Helpful, splendid husband for first daughter (5) HANDY - [-D+H]ANDY -  Letter sub

21   Grounds to switch limits of usage in medicines (5) DREGS - DR[-u][+E]GS - Letter sub

GRID

No. 11324, Saturday, 21 Feb 2015, Incognito

An accessible crossword with samosas flying off the plate.

The solved grid

Across

    9  Place to grow fruit or fish (7) ORCHARD - OR CHARD (fish)

  10  Kingdom's monthly payment tariff (7) EMIRATE - EMI (monthly payment) RATE (tariff)

  11  Compound for ammunition of National Investigation Agency (7)  AMMONIA -AMMO (ammunition) NIA 
*The first of three-letter acronym/abbr as a component in wordplay. Look for other such components elsewhere.

  12  Interactive demon in copper vehicle (7) INCUBUS - IN (in) CU (copper) BUS (vehicle)

  13  I checked a flying bird (9) CHICKADEE - Anag. of ICHECKEDA

  15  Extinct birds -B8B8? (5) DODOS - Anno to be provided by any reader
*Birds are flocking together, it seems.

  16  Take one and three fourth of a south Indian pancake on a back to back sofa (3,1,3) DOS-À-DOS[a]

 *Sometimes I ask my wife to give me half a dosa for a subsequent serving. Have you ever tried three-fourths of a dosa? In self-service hotels, the dosa is always folded unevenly and is served in such a way that the bigger side is on top: never double it in imagination of the size!
**BTW, should the term be three-fourths?
***This is a seat on which the users sit back to back. This French phrase literally 'means back to back'. 
**** Ignoring SA, those dead birds are here!
For a nice pic visit
BACK TO BACK 
ANOTHER TAKE 

  19  Bloodsuckers mutilated testes around beginning of summer (7) TSETSES -  S (beginning of summer) inserted in TSETES Anag. of TESTES 
*Whose we don't know. 
***The positioning of two lights with two three-letter strings in them in the same row must have been deliberate on the part of the setter.

  20  Interpret: Long distance is a little short (5) PARSE - Anno to be provided by any reader
  21  Bird has temperature? That's surprising (9) STARTLING - T (temperature) in STARLING (bird)
*Three birds on hand are worth six in the bush.

  25  X can be sound (7) TENABLE - TEN (X) ABLE (can)

  26  Charges a lot for pelts (7) FLEECES - Two meanings :: Charges a lot / pelts

  28  Hurt girl with a sword (7) CUTLASS - CUT (hurt) LASS (girl)

  29  Note: Craft is in front of performer (7) ARTISTE - ART (craft) IS (is) TE (musical note)
*Art and craft, they say. What is art? What is craft? Is an arty person crafty too?

Down

    1  Design of shredded chamois without heat (6) MOSAIC - Anag of CAMOIS after deleting H (heat) from CHAMOIS

    2  Set up tent in South India and get seafood (6) SCAMPI - CAMP (tent) in SI (South India)

    3  Thank Royal Navy for the lake (4) TARN - TA (thank) RN (Royal Navy)
*'Ta' is an exclamation that means 'Thank you' or 'Thanks'. Not sure if mere 'thank' (v.) can give Ta.

    4  Setter and priest have transport document (2,4) ID CARD - CAR (transport) in I (setter) and DD (priest)
*Is the definition quite apt? ID cards are not always for transport.

    5  Sorry, write "one encampment" (8) PENITENT - PEN (write) I (one) TENT (encampment)
*Setter seems to be out picnicking a lot, pitching camp here and there.

    6  Mate ground beef, for example (6,4) MINCED MEAT -This will give 'MATE". 
*I think this is a reverse anagram.

    7  Slithering boas encircle bachelor in the grip of retired doctor in island (8) BARBADOS - Insertion of BA (bachelor) in DR (reversal of DR(doctor) which is inserted in BAOS (anag, of BOAS)
*Double container-content with a good anag signal. :: It can't be Ireland.

    8  Indian Star-trekker takes saint back and continues (8) PERSISTS - PERSIS (Indian star-trekker) TS (reversal of ST (saint))
*The reference is to Persis Khambatta, model, actor and author. She had a role in the film Star Trek.

  14  Rajma, for instance, baked in Eastern New York, maybe (6,4) KIDNEY BEAN - Anag of BAKEDINENY
*Does it taste differently there?

  16  Instrument immerses insect (8) DIPSTICK - DIPS (immerses) TICK (insect)

  17  Power to rebuild primary Government High School in Trent (8) - STRENGTH - Anag. of GHSTRENT

  18  Doubt South American enclosure's source of energy (8) SUSPENSE - S (South) US (American) PENS (enclosure's) E (source of energy)

  22  A couple of females, with light, fight (6) AFFRAY - A FF(a couple of females) RAY (light)
*Thank God, they didn't use beams.

  23  Nicest sort of crime committed by close relatives (6) INCEST - Anag. of NICEST

*Actually, it is most horrific crime.

  24  Rubber ring in Muruga's kettle (6) GASKET - Hidden in MuruGAS KETtle
*Gaskets are not always of rubber; they could be of metal or plastic.

  27  Newts initially excited fish tank shark (4) EFTS - Stringing together first letters of "excited fish tank shark"

An analysis of clue types

Key: Cha - charade, Anag - anagam, CC - container-content, DD - double definition - Rev - reverse

	Across		Down
9	Cha	1	Anag
10	Cha	2	Cha
11	Cha	3	Cha
12	Cha	4	C/C
13	Anag	5	Cha
15	Not classified	6	Rev Anag
16	Cha	7	Double CC
19	CC	8	CC
20	Not classified	14	Anag
21	CC	16	Cha
25	Cha	17	Anag
26	DD	18	Cha
28	Cha	22	Cha
29	Cha	23	Anag
		24	Telescopic
		27	Acrostic

No. of Instances

14 Cha
 5 Anag
 4 CC
 2 Not classified
 1 Telescopic
 1 Rev anag
 1 Double CC
 1 DD
 1 Acrostic

The puzzle appears to be balanced in the use of clue types. In any puzzle, charades are apt to be preponderant. Acrostic, DD, Telescopic are not overdone. Anagrams too are well within the limit.

GRID