Monday 11 October 2010

No 9970, Monday 11 Oct 10, Gridman

ACROSS
1   - A grunter, thrown out, sounded genuine (4,4) - RANG TRUE*
5   - Isolate copper and gentleman (3,3) - {CU}{T OFF}
9   - Acknowledgement: that is back, having crept around stealthily (7) - {REC{EI<-}PT*}
10 - Excel in getting gold in a kind of game (7) - {OUTDO}{OR}
11 - A retaliator's motive (3,3,3) - TIT FOR TAT [CD]


12 - Coming back, noticed cigarette butts in refuse (5) - {WAS<-}{TE}
13 - Quits the day before starting nursery (4) - {EVE}{N}
14 - Loved going round on city's cycling track (9) - {VELOD*}{ROME}
17 - Claim pier construction to be depending on trial-and-error (9) - EMPIRICAL*
19 - Free removal of electronic box (4) - SPARe
23 - Accepted standards in no royal manuscripts (5) - {NO}{R}{MS}
24 - What one should do to make deductions (3,6) - USE REASON [CD]
25 - Sweet plainer in style and variety (7) - PRALINE*
26 - Picture fit North Indian uncle getting around (7) - {T{ABLE}AU}
27 - Incongruous chapter rewritten unhesitatingly and completely at last (6) - {PATCHer}{Y}
28 - Fatherly commendation learner presented making no about-turn (8) - {PAT}{ERNALre*}
DOWN
1   - Antiques that are not common (8) - RARETIES [CD](Correction - RARITIES - See comments)
2   - Exec's wear that may be looped (7) - NECKTIE [CD]
3   - His is a fitting occupation (6) - TAILOR [CD]
4   - Latest order the Mountie put (2-2-3-6) - UP-TO-THE-MINUTE*
6   - Peacekeepers taken to hospital section: not easily guided (8) - {UN}{TO}{WARD}
7   - Up the river, big problem for marsupial (7) - {OP<-}{OS}{SUM} 
8   - Agriculturalist following ammo supplier (6) - {F}{ARMER}
10 - An addition that one is not bound to take (8,5) - OPTIONAL EXTRA [CD]
15 - Metalworker can be silent about university (8) - {TIN}{S{MIT}H}
16 - Still, team leader managed with broken spine (8) - {T}{RAN}{QUILl}
18 - Sarcastic doctor downs rising doctor with worker (7) - {MO}{RD<-}{ANT}
20 - Bill on new door (7) - {POSTER}{N}
21 - Grab quickly revolutionary kitchenware for sale (4,2) - {SNAP<-} {UP} Anno not clear. UP from 'Up for sale' ?
22 - Complaint put up to the French is weak (6) - {FEEB<-}{LE}

63 comments:

  1. Hello everyone

    As usual, posting this before going through blog annos.

    Liked RANG TRUE, CUT OFF, TIT FOR TAT, VELODROME, EMPIRICAL, PATERNAL, RARITIES, NECKTIE, UP-TO-THE-MINUTE, OPOSSUM, MORDANT, OPTIONAL EXTRA (tough one to figure out), MORDANT, TINSMITH etc.

    24A - I found this clue tricky. The noun form of both 'deduce' and 'deduct' is 'deduction'. At first glance, anyone would go for deduction=reduction, deletion. I am sure some solvers had difficulty here in arriving at USE REASON. A mere presumption.

    26A - Nice one. I still remember there was a discussion here some months ago on TAU for Indian uncle. (Was it a Gridman puzzle?) An action replay today can be foreseen. (For some time, I was trying to fit it CHACHA or MAMA. :-) )

    8D - Put it down as FARMER based on guess and crossings. Yet to check the blog anno.

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  2. Tau reminded of the Devi Lal time politics. Otherwise no specific comments. Simple and elegant CW.

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  3. Kishore, Tau would remind one, besides Devi Lal, also of Shakti Kapoor 's awoo or Saif Ali Khan's wawoo!

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  4. Btw, 8D - after checking the anno above, it is clear, ammo = ammunition supplier, ARMER. Poor me, I was thinking of some ammonia-based fertilizer supplier ! ha ha ...

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  5. 18 - Sarcastic doctor downs rising doctor with worker (7)

    What if any is downs adding to the clue? Better surface reading?

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  6. Nice puzzle. I found this one to be a bit tougher than the other 3 we've had this round.

    I was stuck on 24A for some time. But soon realized that it had got nothing to do with math.

    We got EMPIRICAL and USE REASON in the same puzzle. Looks like Gridman was in an EMPIRICISM vs RATIONALISM argument recently.

    Couple of nice CD's, today.

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  7. @ Richard - ah! REASON! :) Yep, u presume right. I should've thot of it some more... but figured I'll look here as I had only 3-4 left to finish.

    26A : - haha! I couldn't think of anything BUT "TAU"... courtesy of the ad showing up on TV .. "Ram Ram Tau".. :-D

    14A and 18D were nice. So was 27A

    Was stuck on 13A: E?E? and 10A: O?T?P?R..
    Didn't do 20D either..

    All-in-all, another pleasant fare. Not too dramatic, but not too exciting either. :)

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  8. Bhavan, Being a down clue, I think "downs" fits perfectly.

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  9. Incidentally we had this on Thursday's FT puzzle!

    Work with amount of money to capture very large animal (7) - FT 13510

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  10. VJ, I'm not contesting its presence. Just thinking aloud what does its omission deprive the clue of?

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  11. VJ
    You're right! 'downs' (v.) would mean 'puts down' or 'disparages'.
    Without the word, the surface reading suffers.
    And, as you say, it works because this is a Dn clue.

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  12. Still, team leader managed with broken spine

    Was wondering if broken is an apt indicator for detailing! Doesn't it suit anagrams better?

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  13. ARGH! And again! Stoopid me misspelt opossum (opposum anyone?!) in a hurry... and was stuck on 10A! Dagnabit! :-)

    @ Bhavan : I suppose u r right. It definitely makes for better surface reading. Otherwise, I suppose it's a vague indication that MO and ANT are 'downing' RD... i.e- in the middle of the two??

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  14. Bhavan, I don't know what "Sarcastic doctor rising doctor with worker" would mean. Doesn't sound nice to me.

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  15. @ Sudalamani 8:51 - I wasn't quite sure of the wording of this clue. The answer had to be tranquil, but I would have thought 'tail-less spine' or something along those lines would have been better. 'broken' spine seemed to indicate an anagram for quill... not a deletion indicator for l...

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  16. You're right! 'downs' (v.) would mean 'puts down' or 'disparages'.
    Without the word, the surface reading suffers.


    Downs is in the clue, like we all agree for improved surface reading. My only question was its presence as a innocuous filler or if there was some other hidden purpose.

    The above comment by CVasi, puts the doubt to rest.

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  17. btw... can someone explain 13A to me?

    Quits = EVEN??

    as in ... u guit when you are even w.r.t. gambling???

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  18. sorry... "guit" = "Quit". :-D

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  19. To ignite the fuse Richard warned about in the first comment:

    What alternatives could Gridman have used to North Indian uncle for arriving at TAU ? Lets discard the cliched Greek letter which I'm sure Gridman wanted to avoid in the first place.

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  20. @Hari :

    (Courtesy : WordWeb)Quits as an adjective means : On equal terms by payment or requital.

    eg : "we're now quits"; "finally quits with the loan"

    so quits = equal = even.

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  21. @ Bhavan 9:04 - Picture fit in restaurant without ranters?? :-D

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  22. @ Bhavan 9:06 - Ah! Duh! Didn't even think of quits in that context... despite having used it numerous times! Brain freeze! :D
    Thx.

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  23. Uncle from North India, is tight without a tea (3)

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  24. @ Kishore 9:21 - nice!

    amending mine:
    Restaurant not accepting ranters.

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  25. Aunt's end goes before and drops new uncle

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  26. Jeer without the book, uncle.

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  27. Uncle say, Gorilla gorilla, without real Cryptonyte and Bernard Lee in a single letter.

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  28. lol!!! The last 5-6 posts r too good!

    @ Kishore 9:36 - huh?!?! totally lost there! :)

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  29. A zoological name which has both the parts same, like say, gorilla gorilla or naja naja, (as against panthera tigris)is called a tautonym.
    Tautonym - tony (real name of Cryptonyte) and M (Bernard Lee in a single letter) as in James Bond's boss

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  30. "Tania with determination in University"

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  31. Zodiacal bull without diminutive Russian.

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  32. 'Free gift' say, without a toy or a log.

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  33. Double turnstile in logic, without a toy or a log.

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  34. 1. Reservist acceptable to Indian uncle

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  35. Taught without the Graduate Handbook Template.

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  36. Tab with you replacing the bee.

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  37. Tame, you instead of me.

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  38. Seems like a very fertile ground...

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  39. Use the ramrod in the muzzle loader without the politician.

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  40. Uncle, the answer is a Three letter word for brown,
    but do remember to turn the last letter upside down.

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  41. please ignore that capitalisation of T in three

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  42. You replace the X-men from the guys from the income tax department.

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  43. Colonel, I hope we are making up for the unusually slow day yesterday !

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  44. Uncle said using Cockney slang for cold without a short short remark, you add.

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  45. Admiration for avuncular relationship going wild !

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  46. Mixed tuna's husband in North India.

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  47. Good morning

    Except opossum I got all right ofcourse without clear about annos for something. Valedrome and untoward took me a long time.

    I liked 24 a and 10 d. But i had reservations about optional extra....I thought both given the same meaning in different connotations ( when you have option you have something extra to drop )

    otherwise a simple outing perfectly gridman.

    happy week ahead

    mathu

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  48. Deepak
    1d is spelt RARITIES.
    I first came across the word as a noun in Browning's 'My Last Duchess':
    Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though,
    Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,
    Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!

    A whole essay can be written on the significance of those concluding lines in the dramatic monologue.

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  49. Mathu, What are your reservations on Optional Extra?

    An optional extra is like something a car dealer offering say power windows, or ABS as an optional extra.

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  50. Kishore at his best.
    That's why Richard said " you can't leave this forum".
    Enjoyed everyone's attempt, thanks to Bhavan's initiative.
    Ta ( as used in Yorkshire).

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  51. @ Sudalamani, a few friends' quest for a shorter name for you here last week appears to have remained unfulfilled.

    Since you haven't proffered anything either, I propose 'Sumi' for short. Is that OK for you?

    I am looking for someone to second it (or third even...) :-)

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  52. Richard
    I am not for such a radical change.
    If a short form is necessary, I would go for SM (for Sudalamani).
    Besides, 'Sumi' is a girl's name.

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  53. Fine, CV, as long as there is no one else here with similar initials.

    By the way, who is this niece referring to?

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  54. Richard

    You gave me creeps with Sumi, Suni and the like. Recall Einstein: Everything must be made as simple as possible, and not simpler! :)

    You can call me Smani or SM!

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  55. Richard @14:28

    The niece is referring to '{TA}{U}' :-)

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  56. SM 14:30 and DG 15:07

    Both matters are clear now. Thanks a lot.

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  57. A crossword clue for my mathematically inclined friends (requires a five step reasoning/equation):

    Reversed bed for the ex British PM (5)

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  58. Five steps referred above is in its most expanded version. Some steps could be truncated/merged.

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