Tuesday 1 December 2009

No 9702, Tuesday 01 Dec 09, Neyartha

Tough one today, had to google search most of the peaks
ACROSS
1 - Irrational maniac hoards intoxicating Indian drink (13) - PSYCHO{SOMA}TIC
9 - Pastel brushes help in depicting mountain peak (6) - ELBRUS [T]
10 - Pair, quiet in recital, gets a type of swimsuit (3,5) - {TWO} PIECE (~peace)
11 - Distressing complaint (3) - ILL [DD]
12 - Ministers embracing right styles (6) - T{R}ENDS
13 - Ice Amish prepared to detect anaemia in America (8) - ISCHEMIA* Nice clue
14 - Head cop in trouble over nest occupant’s breakfast item (7,3) - {POACHED*} {EGG}
17 - One’s partner missing out on exercise in public (4) - O(-pe)NLY
18 - Right to get rid of female partner’s telegram (4) - WI(-f+r}RE
19 - Unpack disguise for Indian girl on mountain peak (6,4) - PUNCAK* {JAYA}
21 - Capital enabling doctor to fish out the legume (4,4) - {LIMA} BEAN(-ling)*
23 - A grand entrance from the French revolutionary left at sea initially (6) - {PORT}{AL<-} )
25 - Margins lost in booze sent back by the madhouse (3) - (-e)ZOO(-b)<- )
26 - Gunpowder cartridge from U.S. state found outside Palestine city lacks finish (8) - MA{GAZ(-a)} INE
27 - Musical note found in chimney sounds like noise (6) - S{TA}TIC (Correction - STA{TI}C(~stack) )
28 - Different from the huge stereo one adjusted (13) - HETEROGENEOUS*
DOWN
2 - Alternative energy choice of a revolutionary (also Republican leader) (5) - SOLA*{R}
3 - Harry’s friend sees chewing gum outside in narrative (9) - CH{RON}ICLE
4 - Passion, unlimited perhaps, in a place for dates? (5) - OASIS(-p-n)*
5 - Survive the exposed black revolutionary (7) - {OUT}LIVE<- )
6 - Large toad circling around the prisoner on a California mountain peak (9) - A{CON}{CA}GUA
7 - Timid Easwar smuggles an organic compound (5) - IMIDE [T]
8 - Nickel forged in Malaysian mountain peak (8) - M{CKINLE*}Y
15 - Authentic novel (8) - ORIGINAL [DD]
16 - Occurrence deleted often in court records (9) - EXPLETIVE [CD]
17 - Dress down (9) - OBJURGATE [E] New word for me
20 - It may be positive or negative (3,4) - NON ZERO [CD]
22 - Humble model takes the Pole out to slack off (5) - ABA(-s+t)TE
23 - Law group to access opening (concealed) from the south (5) - POSSE Anno pending (Addendum - POSSE<- [T] ) 24 - Farewell to the Parisian (5) - ADIEU [E]

GRID

13 comments:

  1. Law group to access opening (concealed) from the south (5)

    The answer is hidden in the clue itself:
    Law group to access opening (concealed) from the south (5)

    The hid ind is "concealed" and the rev ind (in this Down clue) is "from the south", that is from bottom upwards.

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  2. Thanks Chaturvasi, I just manged to meet the deadline today, that's why I have missed out on some annotations few of them I corrected after the initial post

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  3. Please read my blog on Monday DT xwd and especially see that 29a is similar to one we solved in Sun THC (Everyman) some weeks ago and read my comments in a post relating to the word DRESSER.

    http://bigdave44.com/2009/11/30/dt-26099/

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  4. Really tough one today. The mountain peaks practically kept me at the ground level.


    Richard

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  5. Col., It might be interesting for GK aficionados to note that the 4 mountain peaks mentioned in the above puzzle are all the highest peaks in their respective continents (Elbrus - Europe / Puncak Jaya - Australia / Aconcagua - South America / McKinley - North America).

    They are also members of the 'Seven Summits' [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Summits ]

    The puzzle could have been made much more interesting if all the seven summits had been accommodated in the grid fill. Unfortunately, Neyartha's grid choice doesn't seem to lend itself to that type of fill.

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  6. Good job Colonel. Time keeping in tough times is tough

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  7. Thanks Ganesh for the info about the 'Seven Summits'.
    For those who do not want to peruse the link provided by Ganesh, the other three summits are Everest - Asia, Kilimanjaro - Africa and Vinson Massif - Antartica

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  8. On a UK blog many solvers groaned that a Monday crossword was very, very difficult.
    The setter himself came and said:
    Apologies to all who emerged from their trains/buses/planes feeling disgruntled. I find it difficult to know how tough or easy a puzzle is going to be, much less when it’s going to appear. I was aware that a couple of my recent Saturday puzzles were possibly a bit easier than some, so I admit I did try to raise the bar a bit...

    A solver-commenter replied:
    Please carry on as you are... It’s good to have varying degrees of difficulty. Thanks.

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  9. Col,
    27 - Musical note found in chimney sounds like noise (6) - S{TA}TIC

    what's the anno? Is it STA{TI}C? TI is the musical note. But Chimney = STACK? Does 'sounds' indicate that STAC is Chimney?

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  10. Hi Raghunath,
    You are right it is STA{TI}C, in the hurry to meet the 8:30 deadline I bracketed the note incorrectly

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  11. 3DN - Is it RON for Harry's friend???
    4DN - Is the clue not supposed to be "Passion, limited..."? instead of "unlimited"?

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  12. @Sembhayya,
    Yes, Ron Weasley is Harry Potter's friend
    Passion unlimited meaning the limits of passion removed

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  13. Thank you Colonel! The understanding of "unlimited" is more like an analytical to me :-)

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