Wednesday 11 July 2012

No 10512, Wednesday 11 Jul 12, Neyartha

On a trip to the 'Wild West' today with some family and figures.

ACROSS
1   - Immobile targets? (7,5) - SITTING DUCKS [E]
8   - Showcase with an odd purse and portrait (7) - PREVIEW {PuRsE}{VIEW}
9   - Part of a guitar Roy obtained in the gully (6) - ARROYO [T]
11 - Engine valve made with a first class keratin compound (3-6) - AIR-INTAKE {A1+KERATIN}*
12 - Spoon’s length measure rounded in seized notice (5) - LADLE {L}{AD}{LE<-}
14 - Sari’s blot upset the cattle drive in-charge (5,4) - TRAIL BOSS*
16 - Family on the border (4) - LINE [DD]
18 - Pirate, one getting rid of a crustacean (4) - CRIB CR(-a+i)IB
19 - Reportedly scan the Scottish island with the alien for goatfish (3,6) - RED MULLET (~read){RED} {MULL}{ET}
21- Paddock requiring a new goat expert initially (5) - RANGE {R}{A}{N}{G}{E}
22 - Cook fooled into covering the reversed label on the sluice valve (9) - FLOODGATE {FLOOD{GAT<-}E*}
23 - Family’s zoo is 66 per cent complete (6) - MENAGE MENAGErie
25 - Needs the painting inside the retreat building (7) - DEARTHS {DE{ART}HS<-}
26 - This may get rid of charges in the cloud (12) - THUNDERSTORM [CD]
DOWN
2   - Island race consuming spoilt brie has an addiction to alcohol (11) - INEBRIATION {I}{N{BRIE*}ATION}
3   - Setting integral to an awkward romantic situation (8) - TRIANGLE*
4   - Shift in a British party’s image made unworkable after Kelvin’s departure (3,6) - NEW LABOUR UNWORkABLE*
5   - Arrange for the daughter to take out the good fruit (5) - DRAPE (-g+d)DRAPE
6   - Criminal struck off by clerical mistake from the ring (6) - CIRCLE CLERICal*
7   - Spot the secret agent (3) - SPY [DD]
8   - Rewrote first act (after scratching the head) following mountain climb in a three-dimensional craft (7,3) - PLASTIC ART {PLA<-}{fIRST+ACT}*
10 - Allows the French to take shelter, despite being hard-hearted (10) - RELENTLESS {RE{LE}NT}{LESS} Not sure of Anno (Addendum - {RELENT{LES}S} - See comments)
13 - Right to manufacture treadmills outside may have you going around in circles (5,6) - DRILL MASTER {T{R}READMILLS*}
15 - Complained aloud about the arrangement of the entremets (4,5) - SIDE ORDER (~sighed){SIDE} {ORDER}
17 - 6 Dn’s 25 per cent provides for an instrument to measure altitude (8) - QUADRANT [CD] 
20 - Clue seen before? (4,2) - DEJA VU [CD]
22 - Letters from Steffi endorsing the brute (5) - FIEND [T]
24 - Gulp down the beverage after the temperature goes down (3) - EAT (-t)EA(+t)T




15 comments:

  1. Ref 23 Ac
    Two-thirds (66.67%) may approximate to 67% rather than 66%!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The dismal point strikes again !

      Delete
    2. 66% of 9 = 5.94 which approximates to 6. So the arithmetic is correct, or should we as auditors say 'true and fair'.

      Delete
    3. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  2. 10 - Allows the French to take shelter, despite being hard-hearted (10) - RELENTLESS {RE{LE}NT}{LESS} Not sure of Anno

    Allows = Relents
    the French = Les
    to take shelter = c/c indicator

    ReplyDelete
  3. 10 - Allows the French to take shelter, despite being hard-hearted (10) - RELENTLESS {RE{LE}NT}{LESS} Not sure of Anno

    allows= RELENTS
    the French=LES
    take shelter= container indicator
    RELENT(LES)S

    ReplyDelete
  4. A nice crossword today. Arroyo was a new word for me, but I got it as it was not concealed that well.

    A quibble regards 18A. Is it standard practice to use 'getting rid of' to mean 'replacing' ?

    ReplyDelete
  5. A small niggle- 19A

    Should it not be 'reportedly scanned', to give 'red' (and not read)?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bingo! For that reason I first put in SEA MULLET. But it turned out to be too fishy, since 15D would just not work with that. Got my GOAT. Then I saw RED.

      Delete
  6. Echoing Padmanabhan's 9:59 AM. But calling it a niggle is putting it lightly. ;-)

    Also, in 15D, wouldn't 'about' in the clue indicate that SIDE should go around ORDER?

    20D - What purpose does the word 'Clue' serve here?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. About is a filler. Otherwise the clue does not read well.

      On 20D you cannot eliminate clue altogether. It would have to be replaced with some word indicating an event, person or thing. "clue" is as good as any in that context IMO

      Delete
    2. Thanks, Suresh. Sometimes the mind seems to reserve certain words to indicate specific tasks. :D

      That's pretty much my thought as well, on 20D, but I wondered whether there might be something more.

      Delete

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