No 11958, Saturday 18 Mar 2017, Afterdark

ACROSS
1 Vehicle essentially speeds on road race (6) CAREER{CAR}{spEEds}{R}
4 Craves for company with stranger to tour Venice primarily and get satisfied at the end (6) COVETS {CO{V}ET S}
9 Rising moon behind river's bit tarnished (4) RIOT {R}{IO{Ta...d}
10 Sparkling gold at source is waste, is no good; sources (10) GLITTERING {Gold}{LITTER I N G}
11 Live by law, love and by middle-age get fit (6) BELONG {BE}{L}{O}{aNd}{aGe}
12 Instruments to cut bone first and drill will fetch money (8) TRIPPERS {T}{RIP PE RS}
13 Relying on department head to collect engineer's due (9) DEPENDING {De...t}{E}{PENDING]
15 Light needs little current (4) LAMP {L}{AMP}
16 Son fixes a light source on snowmobile (4) SLED {S}{LED}
17 Imagining gossip, pun is horrible (9) SUPPOSING {GOSSIP+PUN}*
21 Subject overwhelmed by murderer, saved at the end by officers (8) CAPTAINS {C{APT}AIN}{Sa..d} Corrected. Please see comments below
22 Resistance by union leader at building accelerated (6) RUSHED {R}{Un...n}{SHED}
24 Setting ATM! nothing special in this place (10) ATMOSPHERE {ATM}{O}{SP}{HERE}
25 Some tax levied on pin (4) AXLE {Telescopic}
26 Relied on grass found around street (6) RESTED {REED around ST}
27 Book kept by that woman given to son, not you and me (6) OTHERS {OT}{HER}{S} Second son here, first one figuring in 16a

DOWN
1 Neighbour inches away, close to Pune (7) CHINESE {INCHES* punE}

中 国 人

2 Supplies short of allowance (5) RATIO {RATIOn}
3 Angry on losing Romeo, girl came on board and agreed to marry (7) ENGAGED {EN(+g-r)GAGED}
5 No teacher would accept a fiend, even for gain (6) OBTAIN {O}{BT}{A}{fIeNd}
6 Trump, reopen USA for the French, perhaps (9) EUROPEANS {(REOPEN USA)*}
7 Drink and incoherently rant in shade (7) SUNTRAP {SU(RANT*)P}
8 Noble eliminated and disposed old lover to go after princess' spell primarily (13) DISTINGUISHED { DI}{Spell}{exTINGUSHED}
14 Steel car damaged, article's missing, but working inside through subatomic particles (9) ELECTRONS {STEEL+CaR}* around {ON}
16 Instrument to repel woman but attract child in shower (7) SCATTER {S(-w+c)CATTER}
18 Recent development around political leader's one in hundred (7) PERCENT {RECENT}* around {Po...l}

%

19 Crooked news dealer, can be raw inside, provokes (7) NEEDLES {NEwS DEaLEr}*
20 It's easy for school-head to hold troublemaker at the middle of aisleway (6) SIMPLE {ais(School IMP)LEway]
23 Add a drop of honey in wine and stir (5) SHAKE {S(H)AKE} Bond would probably disagree that stirred and shaken are the same

GRID

Special, Sunday 02 Feb 2014, 5th Anniversary Prize Jumbo, Col Deepak Gopinath

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Since this is a prize crossword, no comments on the solutions to be shown anywhere on the blog. I will be moderating the comments between 8 AM on 02 Feb and 8 PM on 03 Feb so that no one inadvertently reveals a solution.

2.  Solutions may be sent to my e-mail : deepakgita@gmail.com in the following formats  :-

     (a) Screen shot or an image of the completed grid  or

     (b) As a word document (Annotated solutions will have to be in this format).

     

3.   Following prizes will be given. Only one prize per head [to ensure that Mohsin doesn't bag both :-)], by chance in case someone wins more than one then prize at (a) below will go to the next person selected at random.

      (a) Prize for all correct entry. This prize winner will be a computerised random selection from the all
      correct entries.

      (b) Prize for the first entry with correct annotations (annos to match with annos as intended by me).

     

4.  Entries will be received till 8 PM (as per my computer clock) on 03 Feb 2014.

5.  Results with solutions will be displayed on the 5th anniversary of the blog i.e., at 8 AM on 04 Feb 2014. The regular blog of 04 Feb will appear at 9 AM.

6.   Each entry to be accompanied with a soft copy of your photograph, postal address and contact numbers.

7.  My decision as sole judge  (I have my wife's permission to say so), will be final and binding and cannot be contested in any court :-)

ACROSS

1   – Umlauts are modern with polar reversal, provided one is inside (9)

6   – Making ready for action peacekeeper’s member sheltering the second half (11)

12 – Jockey ring, all needed, used to lace meat with fat (7,6)

13 – Shallow basket with small mollusc (7)

14 – Man as Prince of Wales’ heaths (6)

15 – Kettle of fish repast for dog’s dinner (4)

16 – Aromatic plant? Capital flower (4,5)

18 – Sweet dish brings out expression of surprise, using damp dishcloth initially laundered (9,7)

20 – Primarily the route undertaken easily was exact (4)

22 – Expunge power inside to exhaust (7)

24 – Merge, to capitulate over a greenhorn at home (5,2)

26 – Positive or negative stimulus primarily inside nascent programs undergoing testing (5)

27 – Cooked-up stories one found tucked in with reference to a cooking appliance (10)

29 – I get social, remarkably exercising an ‘I’ specialist’s trait (10)

32 – Boarded transport to go north (3,2)

33 – Drink for a careless abstainer losing Bachelor of Arts from the US (7)

34 – Football player left in a sewer (7)

36 – A troublesome situation to over-infuse (4)

37 – Unruliness shocked our present bosses (16)

41 – Having lots of space reportedly most cold and damp (9)

42 – 27 is used in this (4)

44 – Shower liberally to look narrowly by proxy inside (6)

46 – Make up an aircraft belly landing (7)

47 – Gloriously almost sick with passionate desire, seriously, without limited sex (13)

48 – Lever the French with unknown cane extract sweet (6,5)

49 – Whisk, for example, German speculator taking note (3,6)

DOWN

1   – Drink turned over, about deficient detective being turned over (6,5)

2   – Do away with backward row to get more dishonest (7)

3   – One class without a student observed in free preparation (9)

4   – Nits for example with hollow goods (4)

5   – Refuse-basket for South Indian first lady (5)

6   – Foreign dudes put in are not challenged (10)

7   – Bled with percolated report (7)

8   – Incorrect articulation by short young lady and professional sister at agency initially taking it on (16)

9   – Supplies base with knick-knacks (6)

10 – Area between 23.4378 N and S (13)

11 – Greek not at all difficult, but most slippery (9)

17 – I am a writer of alternate letters and competent over a headland having an impervious feature (16)

19 – Hold fast below a pronounced stone chest (7)

21 – Where money is coined time after time (4)

23 – Short small-made from French derisive remark over a French meal (5-8)

25 – Remove cooking deposits with electric flux, for example, to be idle (7)

28 – Appropriate surreptitiously moral transgression of King (4)

30 – Noble’s plea is what the messiah taught his disciples (5,6)

31 – Distraught Nicole wore a temperature lowering apparatus (4,6)

32 – Air, say but turn back to head off drop inside an upscale restaurant cum bar (9)

35 – Escaroles used to prepare a dish (9)

38 – Making lace with that thing when husband is absent (7)

39 – Elaborate exhibition model (7)

40 – Setter’s confession of being ashen and run through (6)

43 – To follow every other teen is rude (5)

45 – Brick kiln waste for beer down under (4)

To attempt the crossword on a separate page follow the link 5th ANNIVERSARY PRIZE JUMBO

All the best.

Anniversary wishes ...

... to the esteemed Colonel Deepak Gopinath & Mrs.Gita Gopinath ...

... and ...

... punster extraordinaire Kishore & Mrs.Gita ...

Here is to many more of the same

In Kishore's own words:

... try computing the odds of two crossword nuts,  who wanted to get into the air force but had to give it up because they were colour blind and who got married on the same date to women with the same name...

Anniversary Special, Monday 04 Feb 13, Col Deepak Gopinath

INSTRUCTIONS

1.   Three answers per commenter.
2.   Annotations to be compulsorily provided with the answer.

ACROSS

8   - Advocate loses former wife to operation for adversary (8)

9   - Collapse when Chota nawab goes back with company (6)

10 - Stiff model of Aluminium (5)

11 - It’s sensible to share a hood (8)

12 - Lady editor isn’t available (4)

13 - Threw spear, got some fruits (5)

15 - Not yet. Please don’t use initial force (1,1,1,1)

16 - Not often seen piece of Welsh rabbit (7)

18 - Thug, type of ensemble (7)

21 - Blue shade of Mirza Quadri (4)

23 - Pest has short time fuse, not loud (5)

24 - Pose around for money (4)

26 - Needs a brace to score (8)

28 - Small, short drink united and boiled (6)

29 - Slewed around going down slope (6)

30 - Achar is made and has an impressive quality (8)

DOWN

1   - Support Indian state with firm grip (6)

2   - Friend holds back rounds in his routine (8)

3   - The old learners shout …. (4)

4   - …. and others trap a bird forever (7)

5   - Throw one to have kittens (1,3)

6   - Shoot rodent soon, it’s pointless (6)

7   - American state singer, fighter (8)

13 - Public relations is initial material for misrepresenting medium (5)

14 - Railway man gave ‘Go ahead’ to Eastern express with Indian signal (5)

17 - Obtains account for group of singers on the radio (8)

19 - Camper is convulsing, showing signs of poisoning (8)

20 - Stifling place hides a pot in the mug (7)

22 - It’s more painful when a greek character expresses hesitation (6)

25 - Heartless spy covers a squad to become lustful (6)

27 - Southern shelter as an alternative (4)

28 - Ruler, a potpourri of Hash (4) 



To access the CW on a separate page follow the link ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL 

LINK TO SOLUTION

Birthday Special, Thursday 17 Jan 13, Kishore

Moving up the ladder, the Research & Analysis Wing of THCC, discovers the following coincidences:

Year:     2012, followed by 2013
Month:   December, followed by January
Date:      16th, followed by 17th
Decade:  6th, followed by 7th

After the sweet 60th birthday special  for Colonel Deepak Gopinath on 16th December 2012, we are pleased to present the 70th birthday special in honour of THC's resident expert CV.

Given the apt 17 x 17 size of the crossword each person can submit 4 answers. Please add annotations along with your answers

Across Lite version:

Birthday Special, Sunday 16 Dec 12, Kishore

The Research and Analysis Wing of THCC wishes its Director General the Very Best on the completion of his 60th solar orbit and presents a crossword with a few of his favourite things (as starred clues). Happy Birthday, Colonel Deepak Gopinath.

3 answers PP. Please add annotations along with your answers

ACROSS
1 *Come in! Lilt playing in DG's old car (10)
6/24 *Desert person's rich concoction consuming you finally? That's DG favourite dish! (4,8)
8 Army detachment in Gujarat's capital for what DG has been doing to crossworders (7)
9 Hard-to-get-to-know person, which DG is not (7)
10 22's weapon in a couple of tutor's sketches (4)
12 Put together - Good man was raring to have his blog thus by 8.30 AM (8)
13 Smiling, he might say it as he sees it at the table? (6)
16 What 1 across took in moving as it did in its heyday (as an American would say) (3)
18 Stop wearing gold for so long! (5)
20 Considerate to hide age (3)
21 Influence provided backing to amass as much as possible (4,2)
24 *See 6 across
26 Gentleman has little time to create a disturbance (4)
30 Chirpy about runs secured, yet such a victory is not worth it (7)
31 Officer's new driver at the rear of Esteem - not excellent to have acceleration (7)
32 Huts built in this way (4)
33 *One caught in military fight or encounter, at first in Indian city (10)

DOWN
1 *See 22 down
2 Haunts playing Latin music (5)
3 Paddy losing his heart to Lily (4)
4/5 *Setting it right, they must lead to the moment of solver's enlightenment (5,6)
5 *See 4 down
6 Prattle with the French with pine ends (6)
7 What Cocoa likes to do: Stop and kick start (4)
11 Have to look up (4)
12 It's waste anyway (5)
14 Trap girl at home (3)
15 *Rugged Mt Fuji out of Japan, it is not uniform (5)
17 It helps Bond e.g., pursue essentially sly criminal (9)
19 Record breaking peaks of Austria and Switzerland (4)
22/1 *As a mouth curls we curiously get to see it under the nose (6,9)
23 *Cut lining accordingly for a military cap (6)
25 Tendency to accept facts is missing in the country (5)
27 Either side of this old human body (5)
28 Domestic help always at hand initially (4)
29 Account by setter's written up in a guesthouse (4)

With special thanks to Kishore for creating this puzzle and  Gridman, Arden, Shuchi and Buzzer for their clues.

SOLUTION GRID