ACROSS
1 - Constituent of vital fluid that produces cool, half-blue spell (5,9) - BLOOD CORPUSCLE {PRODUCES+COOL+BLue}*
8 - Comic character with a black soul in India (6) - BATMAN {B}{ATMAN}
9 - A strange clarity misinterpreted as liveliness (8) - ALACRITY {A}{LACRITY*}
11 - Old TV show that led to unexpected oil levy cut, losing time (1,4,4) - I LOVE LUCY {OIL+LEVY+CUt}*
13 - More precipitate, has row (7) - HASTIER {HAS}{TIER}
15 - Go missing like a born runner-up, non-English (7) - ABSCOND {A}{B}{SeCOND}
17 - Alloy with mercury (7) - AMALGAM [E]
19 - In anger, governor beginning to nettle a non-believer (7) - HEATHEN {HEAT}{HE}{N}
23 - Ape that outran nag surprisingly (9) - ORANGUTAN*
26 - Supporter of wisdom, one of seven (6) - PILLAR [CD]
27 - Teaching grown-ups — an endlessly boring process of training, consuming time (5,9) - ADULT EDUCATION {A}{DULl}{T} {EDUCATION}
DOWN
1 - Infantile, heartless boy, one in a party (7) - BABYISH {BA{BoY}{I}SH}
2 - Money paid to cure gout? Nothing! (5) - OUTGO {OUTG*}{O}
3 - The kind of noise to (literally) end all noise! (9) - DEAFENING [CD]
4 - Army pal travelling to find a plant yielding drink (7) - PALMYRA*
5 - Projection at the base of a wall only seen around the start of construction (5) - SOCLE {SO{C}LE}
6 - Look, trendy material for simple wear (9) - LOINCLOTH {LO}{IN}{CLOTH}
7 - Cover for an observer (6) - EYELID [CD]
10 - Tom's vocal expression of contentment (4) - PURR [E]
14 - Kind of fabric edge that dopes call funny (9) - SCALLOPED*
17 - A lesson for the unprincipled (6) - AMORAL {A}{MORAL}
18 - Come in anyhow packing energy to discover an epoch millions of years old (7) - MIOCENE {MIOC{E}NE*}
19 - Cure a vocal rotter (4) - HEAL(~heel)
20 - There is no pressing need for such a garment (3-4) - NON-IRON [E]
22 - Slow speech, unrefined, in extremes of denial (5) - DRAWL {Den{RAW}iaL}
24 - Plant causing change in Oklahoma city finally (5) - TULSI TULS(-a+i)I
Vintage Sankalak. All cut and dry. No loose ends.
ReplyDeleteRe my posers:
First, mea culpa. I had run this one last year too. So apologies are due to customers who experienced deja vu and shrugged it off as old hat. I need to keep track of what I post where. Not surprisingly, only Dave replied and as foreshadowed, came up with a few answers which were acceptable though not what I had in mind.
My answers:
1. Eager, to have formicidae in the trousers – Ants in the pants
2. Elite, rather than hoi polloi – Class over mass
3. Small thing, beginning of something larger – Edge of the wedge
4. Any means possible – By hook or by crook
5. AWAC-Eye in the sky
6. Actual meaning of something- Name of the game
7. Unrealistic promise of rewards – Pie in the sky
8. SOB, more politely – Son of a gun
9. Warm and comfortable –Snug as a bug in a rug
10. Extremely favourable offer – Steal of a deal
11. Safe, reliable and sure – Sound as the pound
12. Go on a buying spree – Shop till you drop
13. Keep your parking ticket visible – Pay and display
Dave’s alternatives:
2.Jet set, 10.Real deal, 11. True blue, 12.Splash some cash,
Sankalak following on from his execellent run last time. Very nice crossword.
ReplyDelete11A reminded of Desilu the production firm of I Love Lucy (and many others). The name was a combo of the names of Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, and provided us wholesome entertainment during the early years of television.
ReplyDeleteRe Kishore's use of the phrase 'cut and dry' above.
ReplyDeleteFor me the phrase is 'cut and dried'. For a long time, until recently, I thought 'cut and dry' was wrong but surprisingly that too is in the dictionary.
I still prefer 'cut and dried' as both these verbs suggest that it was an external agency that did them to something. As I have said before, I am woefully ignorant of grammatical terms to explain what I mean.
I hadn't noticed! If you had asked for the phrase I would have said cut and dried. I think it is usually used in the past tense about an existing event. But K was kind of using it in the present tense and it didn't ring any alarm bells as I read it, so I guess I must be subconsciously aware of both usages.
ReplyDeleteWholly agree with CV. His case is cut and dried.
ReplyDelete"His case is cut and dried."
ReplyDeleteHis soul?
Sankalak in his elements.
ReplyDelete18D brought back memories of meeting him for the first time in Chennai - thanks to Gridman arranging a well attended S&B III.
Miocene was the word that Sankalak threw open for all of us to have a go at clueing.
Akin to CV's cut & dried, my learning for today was that hoi polloi is not only masses, but mass too.
ReplyDeleteReally good one to start the run from Sankalak. The thing that amazes me is he always keeps it simple enough to solve, yet keeps it interesting enough to learn new things.
ReplyDeleteWell said,VP. Could not have put it better. Start of this series-"Edge of the wedge" as Kishore would like to say?
ReplyDeleteKishore-
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the double troubles ! A small doubt- Is the Pound still sound?
Paddy, its value may not be sterling any more.
ReplyDeleteDitto: Bhavan's 09:26.
ReplyDeleteReg cut and dried - in Tamil Nadu people used to say 'cut and right'
ReplyDeleteYes, I have heard it too. Should be a mis pronounciation of 'cut & dried'.
ReplyDeleteRam's cut and right reminds me of the calling out of 'right-a?' when playing hopscotch.
ReplyDeleteAh, a week to look forward to now!
ReplyDeleteSOCLE was a new word for me, though it was easy enough to fit in
hey!! i'm new to this site, only just signed in. i've been solving the hindu crosswords for a long time now. i wanted to know if any member is allowed to contribute solutions or is it just the official contributors listed?
ReplyDeletegreat work by you guys! love it :)..Big fan
Thanks, Sankalak, for a thoroughly enjoyable puzzle.
ReplyDelete@ Amu
ReplyDeleteWelcome. If you would like to contribute solutions please see: THC Orkut community
Also Crosswordmania in Orkut community for other
crosswords.
Welcome to the gang, Amu.
ReplyDeleteCol. Deepak Gopinath posts the solutions to the regular THC at 830 ack emma sharp. They are usually complete and accurate. Once in rare blue moon, the setter manages to confound him, fairly or otherwise. In such a situation, any person (listed or unlisted) can submit his/her annotation for the answer.
On rare occasions when the THC has a holiday and hence no crossie for us addicts, he usually hosts a crossie from the friendly neighbourhood spiderman or beeman or ..., where he usually specifies the number of answers a poster can post, usually 3.
That, to my knowledge, is the standing orders on this ship.
Correct me if I am wrong, Deepak.
Amu,
ReplyDeleteWelcome aboard. Kishore has given you all the Do's, Dont's and general gupshup connected with this blog.
Like Bhargav has mentioned you could join the Orkut Community wherein there are groups for the HINDU, NIE, Telegraph, ET and HT CW's and there you can submit solutions upto the permitted quota. Link to the Orkut Community is available on the panel on the left hand side of this page.
Ciao,
Col Deepak Gopinath
Amu
ReplyDeleteI too am a relatively recent contributor and visitor to this blog; I enjoy the discussions on this forum.
Apart from various other communities mentioned, there is also a facebook app for THC, and you can solve your crossword without any restrictions and post for other group members to see (if you wish)
26Across: PILLAR- I got this alright- where does seven apply? One can never say: I know it all!
ReplyDelete8 Across and 20 down are great formulations.
LOIN-Ajit Cloth was also funny
3 down was loud and clear
We can all 3down for a week happily?
sorry 10 down happily
ReplyDeleteKishore:
ReplyDeleteThe rhyming game is alos used as a link to the clues in one of the London papers- I think, Daily Telegraph?
Raju,
ReplyDeleteEh, what?
Are you by any chance referring to rhyming slang?
Kishore
ReplyDeleteYou have read Raju's mind aright.
I would only place on record that rhyming slang has been used very occasionally in THC by the present setter as well as Gridman (maybe others, but I am unable to recall instances immediately). It is widely used in the UK papers - not only DT but others such as Guardian and Indie.