Tuesday 14 September 2010

No 9947, Tuesday 14 Sep 10, M Manna


The apprentice is back and I am stumped with all the CD's
ACROSS
1   - Hustle forward (6) - ONRUSH [CD]
4   - Most enduring part of the plane? (8) - {LONGER}{ON} New word for me
10 - Girdle Les once fashioned (7) - ENCLOSE*
11 - A model once generously proportioned (7) - {EX}{AMPLE}
12 - Take care of venomous snakes as you pass around (4) - ASPS*
13 - The last coach on the last lap (5,5) - FINAL STAGE [DD]
16 - Liberal priests can be beasts (6) - {L}{LAMAS}
17 - The significance of items in the trade deficit (7) - IMPORTS [CD]
20 - They travel through the air without expending power (7) - GLIDERS [E]
21 - Looker with fixed gaze (6) - STARER [CD]
24 - Pound is given to me in immediate part payment (10) - {INSTA{L}{ME}NT}
25 - Short story about powder found in the bathroom (4) - {TALe}{C}
27 - Dish one drinks in awful riot (7) - {RI{SOT}TO*}
29 - Cut for league-leaders (7) - T?P?I?E (Addendum - {TOP}{SIDE} )
30 - He tends to get carried away when relating stories (8) - REPORTER [CD] ?(Correction - RACONTER [CD]) (Second correction - ROMANCER [CD] - See comments )
31 - They're of some value for some classes (6) - ASSETS [CD] ? (Correction - {AS}{SETS} - See comments)
DOWN
1   - In working order for successful surgery (8) - OPERABLE [CD]
2   - Potters making pots, perhaps, from secret place (11) - RECEPTACLES*
3   - Station-halt (4) - STOP [DD]
5   - Welcome order for rifleman waiting for weapon inspection (4,4) - OPEN ARMS [DD]
6   - Does a hungry cow get down to these brass tacks? (5,5) - {GRASS} {ROOTS}
7   - Commercial agent for corded cloth (3) - REP [DD}
8   - Wanted river to rise — in the end, anyhow (6) - {N{EED<-}ED*}
9   - Another girl from Alice (5) - CELIA*
14 - Choice available at tea-interval, possibly (11) - ALTERNATIVE*
15 - Flier presenting elegant appearance outside and in (4,6) - ?A?D ?A?T?R (Addendum - {S{AND} MART}{IN} )
18 - Straightforward language about border flower (8) - {P{RIM}ROSE}
19 - Goes on to make a profit (8) - PROCEEDS [DD]
22 - Maker of images (6) - MIRROR [CD]
23 - She is one, anti to anything (5) - {A}{NITA*}
26 - Decides to settle with one among other possibilities (4) - OPTS Anno  pending
28 - Money has to be reduced on the way up (3) - S?C (Addendum - tSUM <- See comments)

45 comments:

  1. Hi
    53 more and closing
    Do you welcome this with OPEN ARMS (I have heard of Inspection Arms and Open Ranks, but Open Arms ???), Deepak. P(RIM)ROSE, S(AND)MART-IN and INSTA(L)(ME)NT were tops. LONGER-ON required Google. MIRROR and ROMANCER, mmm??

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi all

    4A eluded me.

    Liked FINAL STAGE, OPEN ARMS, GRASS ROOTS, MIRROR etc.

    ReplyDelete
  3. 28d SUM (has to=must, reduced=mus, on way up=sum<-)

    15d S(AND)MART-IN

    ReplyDelete
  4. 28D is SUM (mus(-t)<-
    Don't know what 30A is Put down REMINDER but don't know the anno

    15D is {S{AND}MART}IN

    ReplyDelete
  5. ROMANCER for 30A is right Kishore

    ReplyDelete
  6. Deepak, it is ROMANCER. CV, I know you remember Saki penning: Romance at short notice was her speciality.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ok.. question for the veterans here:

    Is this normal/acceptable to have so many cryptic defns. in the Hindu daily CW? Personally, I prefer something that leaves you feeling satisfied that there are no alternative answers... no matter how difficult or convoluted the clue is.

    Stuck on a handful of the CDs, and still unable to follow after seeing the answers here. How'd you get ROMANCER?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Romancer makes more sense. It refers to getting carried away and to romantic stories

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think 29A is TOPSIDE. It fits one part of the clue i.e. league-leaders.

    31A ASSETS. I think SETS comes from "classes." Don't know how AS = some

    ReplyDelete
  10. Before any of you get any ideas about the sentence quoted above, let me assure you that it the closing line of one of the best short stories I have ever read. Try HH Munro's The Open Window.

    ReplyDelete
  11. 29A - TOPSIDE fits in. It means a cut of meat. Not sure of the 'league' connection. Anything to do with sports?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Of course. That is a favourite story of mine. For an essay I wrote on that in my first year BA English class under exam conditions, I got high marks and the commendation 'Very good'. But before that my Dad had read the story to me and my siblings from a textbook when I was some 12 years.
    Kishore (taking up from your late Comment yesternight)
    A business newspaper need not necessarily publish a finance/trade/commerce/money for the aim of the feature may be take the readr's mind of those topics.
    I registed myself and had a look at the crossword online. I recognised a clue of Roger Squires and indeed tracked down a clue in Indian Express archives. I guess the puzzle is not from the syndicate I usually talk about: it must be from the Guardian or the Daily Telegraph oor the FT where on certain days his puzzle appears. On other days puzzles will be by other composers even if it is reproduced from any of these papers.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I thought of TOPLINE, brands which lead in their segments are called topline brands, but the cut def is not clear to me: is it some kind of meat cut ?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Richard,
    Spot on then the anno is {TOP}{SIDE}

    ReplyDelete
  15. VJ Your 08:43 and my 08:43 posts seem to make a perfect combination for 29A.

    ReplyDelete
  16. 31 - They're of some value for some classes (6) - ASSETS [CD] ?

    {AS}{SETS}

    ReplyDelete
  17. Manna could have at least said 'Cut of meat'

    ReplyDelete
  18. whoops... never mind. topside looks right! :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Richard, you got the cut of meat and I got the league leader. A fair deal????

    ReplyDelete
  20. CV, no by-line or syndicate reference was there. One clue I liked was 27a Breathes in awkwardly as one sleeps (10). What struck me, furthermore, was the solution grid to 660. A rare occurrence, the entire rim was occupied with the top and bottom rows having POSSESSION ORDER and TREASURED MEMORY and the two columns having PERMANENT MAGNET and RESURRECTION DAY.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hari,
    It is (TOP}{SIDE} see the link with the word in the main post

    ReplyDelete
  22. The perimeter slots in a crossword grid being all-blank and having four 15-letter entries in them is not uncommon.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Rider: Does the Hindi word 'ROMANCHAK' when used as an adjective for 'interesting' come from this source, by any chance ?

    ReplyDelete
  24. 26 - Decides to settle with one among other possibilities (4) - OPTS Anno pending

    Selects ONE thing from a wide choice.

    ReplyDelete
  25. CV: I agree. But I have not seen it in THC for some time, I think.

    ReplyDelete
  26. thanks Col! I missed the flurry of posts b4 my post. :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. Kishore (855), now that you've mentioned.....

    ReplyDelete
  28. I don't think any THC grid of any compiler at present has four 15-letter entries in the perimeter. But I am ready to stand corrected (except that please allow me to sit in my chair soon thereafter).

    ReplyDelete
  29. Ah, CV, Philip Pirrip's 'tickler' ?

    ReplyDelete
  30. Col:

    Looks like a dry day! Couldn't "See The Cartoon" anywhere today!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Perhaps there is nothing funny about today's puzzle! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  32. Dr DS,
    Was too busy searching for solutions as such had no time for the cartoons, I echo Richard's sentiments as well

    ReplyDelete
  33. Col:

    I understand. But that was one of the intersting items we look forward to in this blog and hence my comment. Hope you'll make up for it tomorrow!

    ReplyDelete
  34. It appears to happen very often here. In the middle of a flurry of posts, some interesting matters raised get submerged or miss attention.

    For example, two posts in the morning:

    C'vasi 08:50 Don't women romance?

    Kishore @ 08:54 Does the Hindi word 'ROMANCHAK' when used as an adjective for 'interesting' come from this source, by any chance ?


    Responses, anyone?

    ReplyDelete
  35. "C'vasi 08:50 Don't women romance?"

    I think the clue should have started with a "she." Well it's a fact that the word "romance" has a girly/ feminine connotation. For inst, all romantic comedies/ movies are often labeled as "chick flicks."

    ReplyDelete
  36. Richard: 'romanchak' means something that causes goosebumps, or what 'The HINDU' would be pleased to call 'horripilating'. The word is also used by cricket commentators to mean 'exciting', 'hair rising' etc.. 'roma' means hair.

    It has nothing whatsoever to do with the English word 'romance'.

    Yes and I too am trying to think why 'romantic' should have a 'girly/feminine' connotation? After all, there are two sides to any romance.


    Hope this helps,

    LNS

    ReplyDelete
  37. Thanks, LNS. Most of us have been through heir raising experiences.

    ReplyDelete
  38. @ CV 0858 - 'stand'corrected brought an old joke to my memory. Some famous writer wrote a letter in which 'nirka' (utkarndhu kondum padikkalam) appeared.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Subramaniam,

    I guess the writer was Devan. Cv, who has translated some of his works in English, can confirm.

    Your name reminds me of Subbudu. He once had this to say in criticism of a particular Carnatic musician's vocal recital. The song in case was 'Nee Irangayenil' in Atana composed by Papanasam Sivan which beseeches the Goddess to shower blessings for health and wealth.

    Subbusu said the artist was singing as if standing below a tree with stick in hand and threatening the person atop the tree, " Come down (irangu), otherwise you will get beaten."

    ReplyDelete
  40. LNS, I don't know, somehow a guy being "romantic" doesn't seem right to me.

    ReplyDelete

deepakgita@gmail.com