Monday 11 February 2013

No 10693, Monday 11 Feb 13, Sankalak

All aspiring setters need to take a cue from Sankalak on how to make a CW enjoyable with no need for tearing one's hair out.

ACROSS
1   Depressed by growth on face, he killed his wives (9) BLUEBEARD {BLUE}{BEARD}
5   Taunts but, after losing time, relaxes (5) EASES tEASES
8   Such a crossword cannot be solved (8) CLUELESS [CD]
9   University officer covers business for church official (6) DEACON {DEA{CO}N}
11 A plant found in Gallup in season (5) LUPIN [T]
12 One who cannot sleep late? (5,4) EARLY BIRD [CD]
13 A number indulge in horseplay in return for a stone (6) GARNET {GAR}{NET}<=
14 Failure to follow suit in U.S. city — pawnbroker loses fifty (8) RENOUNCE {RENO}{UNClE}
16 The writing on the wall for the German earl, healthy, independent (8) GRAFFITI {GRAF}{FIT}{I}
18 Master, dropped, got crushed (6) MASHED {MA}{SHED}
22 What does GOI attain, however, in a stir (9) AGITATION*
23 Guys’ partners in Damon Runyon’s work (5) DOLLS [GK]
24 Would he burn, perhaps, for a movie? (3,3) BEN HUR* Will never forget the Chariot races.
25 Frogs and such but no reptile in imitable, happier collection (8) AMPHIBIA {IMItABle HAPpier}*
26 Dickensian chap who lost time in a long, tiring walk (5) RUDGE tRUDGE
27 A right swimmer to start natating in famous cemetery (9) ARLINGTON {A}{R}{LING}{TO}{N}

DOWN
1   Reverse the record of arrears of work (7) BACKLOG {BACK}{LOG}
2   He supplants the Shylock with a penny (7) USURPER {USUR{P}ER}
3   Libra in creation shows how living beings stay in equilibrium (7,2,6) BALANCE OF NATURE {BALANCE} {OF NATURE}
4   The response of a royal covering doctored news (6) ANSWER {A}{NEWS*}{R}
5   From time to time the new envoy, warned, went crazy (5,3,3,4) EVERY NOW AND THEN {THE+N+ENVOY+WARNED}*
6   Part seen in cutting up a body when girl’s absent (7) SECTION diSECTION
7   How the House might be adjourned ? (4,3) SINE DIE [E]
10 Made an effort to be tested (5) TRIED [DD]
15 A mug, note, received in wrongdoing (5) STEIN {S{TE}IN}
16 British barge attacked by one who would seize it (7) GRABBER {BR+BARGE}*
17 Old boxer meeting old Red leader in retreat, got together (7) ALIGNED {ALI}{GNED<=}
19 Henry with one word of protest about fish (7) HALIBUT {HAL}{1}{BUT}
20 Contempt for German standard encompassing Aids perhaps (7) DISDAIN {DI{AIDS*}N}
21 Man is one (6) ANIMAL [GK]


45 comments:

  1. +1 for the byeline

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shouldn't it be byline or by-line?

      CV would confirm if the origin is from journalistic expression, describing the line giving credit to the author of the report or write-up.

      Delete
    2. Of course, some dictionaries say, also 'bye-line'.

      Delete
  2. But for the enu, the answer for 8A from many here will be _ _,s

    ReplyDelete
  3. +2.

    Most enjoyable CW. Glad to be able to complete before time-12A? I had a few doubts though, cleared later on seeing the blog.

    ReplyDelete
  4. +1 for a nice puzzle as well. Only question I had was on 14 A - should the definition be "fail to follow suit"?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is what Chambers has

      renounce : vi to fail to follow suit at cards, n a failure to follow a suit

      Delete
    2. Thx, the Chambers thesaurus app did not give the nounal form but I see that the Chambers dictionary app does. Learnt something in the process today..

      Delete
    3. Thx Col., learnt the specific use case for the renounce as noun - I used to play bridge regularly and should have known better I guess. I checked the Chambers thesaurus app but it did have renounce listed as a noun though I now see that the Chambers dictionary does.

      Delete
    4. Meant to say that the Thesaurus app did not, but the "not" was swallowed somewhere between my brain and fingers..

      Delete
  5. Liked the graffito for 16A with perfect 3-d effect.

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  6. hi all.what with an unexpecteda major surgery on me i could nt solve cws for nearly a month. i am back on foot and hope to b a regular here.good day all.:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We missed you here Gayatri. Trust all is well now.

      Delete
    2. Hope you recover fast and can start your samosa fest again

      Delete
  7. Nice CW. 14 A got solved by crossing But US city?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. US City is Reno also known as 'The biggest little city in the world', is famous for its gambling business and casinos and was also famous for it's 'Divorce business'

      Delete
  8. Gayathri, take good care of yourself. You were being missed and mentioned here.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Smoothly written clues. Had a doubt about:

    27 A right swimmer to start natating in famous cemetery (9) ARLINGTON {A}{R}{LING}{TO}{N}
    Natating is not listed in the Chambers nor in the other Dics.

    It's Natation, as noun: the act or art of swimming or floating on water.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Another lovely, smooth puzzle. Definitely agree with the byline :)
    Doc, wishing you a speedy recovery.

    ReplyDelete
  11. thank u.the limp is troublesome but i hope to be ok. surprisingly ,normally easy sankalak was tough.may b because i d lost touch.:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gayathri, wish you well.

      I am myself recovering from a hospital stay for a couple of days; had to be taken there by ambulance with severe back ache. I am now able to walk but there is some lingering pain.

      Delete
  12. Ques.:What happens when a doctor gets sick?
    Ans." She misses her CW and other bloggers miss her!!

    Anyway, glad you are almost back to normal. I am sure you will get into cracking form soon.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Recently, I have noticed some persons writing 'its' as 'it's'. The general rule in grammar used to be that pronouns show possession without the use of apostrophe ('s) as in ours, hers and theirs. 'It's" is used only as a contraction of 'it is'.

    Has there been any change in the grammar rule in this regard lately?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The rules have not changed, it appears. it is only that the attitude has changed towards being lax or just casual. Influence of SMS lingo, perhaps.

      I totally agree with you. Its = possessive case, 'belonging to it'

      it's = 'It is' or 'It has'. I am glad you brought up this subject.

      Similarly, I have come across people writing atleast and percent in the place of at least and per cent.

      For that matter, I don't mind being branded a grammar Nazi. :-)

      Delete
    2. Richard, while I agree with you on atleast, percent is an accepted spelling, albeit American. It is there in my OED on my computer (American edition).

      Doubtless it will be found in the full OED also.

      Delete
  14. I think "it's" can be used to show possession as well - like if you got a very low opinion of another person you can say "It's ideas are really stupid."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am afraid not. In the above instance I would expect its. Though my analaogy is not quite exact, its is like his or her. I.e, a possessive pronoun, neuter.
      Its means belonging to it or of it.
      There is only its. No such word as its'.

      Delete
  15. Its ok, ye all !! It is after all a matter of a apostrophe.It's a matter too itsy-bitsy.

    the gen-Y is shortening evryth to readble lingo. its gonna be the rule. SMSese is not the culprit. Its a wannabe gen-Y that's in a hurry going nowhere..

    Shortening of it is( and not it has) can be it's. I too don't like the idea of its being bel-it-tled.

    How about IT conveying another meaning? Git IT? depicts oodles of oozing sexiness! Is that why the IT industry has many females?

    So long that IT is not comma-dified ?

    As for bylanes and bye laws hyphenated or otherwise let's all bypass such shortcuts to the underways.

    The pedantic Spellchecker has underlined in red so many of the words in my script here.

    Did any one of you notice that in the Times of India, except at the beginning of a sentence the letter i is always in lower case, as a part of a sentence, even when it should be in uppercase ? This was sometime ago. Maybe, CV can comment as to when and how this came about?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I have noticed it.

      I don't know when they started it but in all articles on the editorial pages they use the the lower case i.

      I, in capital form, is thought to be boastful. What nonsense!

      Delete
  16. CV sir,

    Hope you find relief soon from your backache. It is a wonder that despite the health problem, you kept on doing your voluntary work in recent weeks at the temple!

    We recall the last time when you were hospitalised for a more serious ailment in Ashwini Hospital (Apr 2011) when you went under the knife of the neurosurgeon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your concerns.
      I am quite cheerful, taking things as they come.

      Delete
  17. I really appreciate that. It is very rare to come by.

    ReplyDelete
  18. @Kishore et al

    A byline (not bye-line) is the writer’s name printed at the top (or elsewhere) of an article in a magazine or newspaper.

    In a newspaper or magazine, a strapline is a subheading.printed above the headline.

    A catch line is a line of lesser importance, set shorter or sometimes in smaller type than the lines above and beneath it.

    A tag line is a phrase or catchword that becomes identified or associated with a person, group, product, etc., through repetition.

    (Ack: definitions taken from various online dictionaries)

    At best, we can call the Col's blue lines 'preamble' or 'intro'. His blue lines are usually cheerful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wholly agree. I stand corrected.

      On a lighter note, it amused me to hesr from you that blue is cheerful ;-)

      Delete
    2. Thanks CV. Very enlightening. Clarified all doubts.

      Delete
  19. Kishore,
    You are always at 'it'!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You said 'it'! (With apologies to RK, the 'man' who would be never 'lax' at humour and digs!

      Delete
  20. What a series, Richard. I have a couple of books which I keep browsing once in a while. They seem to be always relevant.

    ReplyDelete

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