Tuesday 4 February 2014

Special, Tuesday 04 Feb 2014, 5th Anniversary Prize special results


Thanks go out to all those who comment/visit this blog and who have helped the blog to flourish over the past four years. 

Thanks also to all who participated in the prize special which was posted on Sunday, though I would have liked many more entries. 

Given below is the chronological list of entries received.

1. Kishore M Rao
2. Mohsin Ahmed 
3. Dr Srinvasaraghava Venkatesh (All correct)
4. Sandhya P (All correct)
5. Bhalachandra Pasupathy (All correct)
6. Prof Nadathur S Rangarajan(All correct)
7. Raju Umamaheshwar
8. Anish Madhavan (All correct)
9. Rengaswamy Narasimhan
10. Sowmya Ramkumar
11. Vinayak Ekbote
12. Richard Lasrado
13. Mukundala Balasubramanyam 

...... and the winners are

RANDOM DRAW FROM ALL CORRECT SOLUTIONS (Prize: MGR a Biography by Shrkanth Veeravalli  )

Anish Madhavan
 

FIRST ALL CORRECT ANNOTATED SOLUTION (Prize: PARKER Vector Metallix pen )

Sandhya P

PS: Actually none got all right but Sandhya was the closest.

Congratulations to both of you on behalf of the entire THCC gang

Given below is the solution grid and the annotated answers interspersed with some cartoons from Kishore



ACROSS
1   Umlauts are modern with polar reversal, provided one is inside (9) MODIFIERS {MOD{IF}{1}ER(-n+s)S}
6   Making ready for action peacekeeper’s member sheltering the second half (11) – UNLIMBERING (UN}{LIMB}{(-shelt)ERING}
12 – Jockey ring, all needed, used to lace meat with fat (7,6) LARDING NEEDLE*
13 – Shallow basket with small mollusc (7) SCUTTLE {S}{CUTTLE}
14 – Man as Prince of Wales’ heaths (6) ERICAS {ERIC}{AS}
15 – Kettle of fish repast for dog’s dinner (4) MESS [MD]
16 – Aromatic plant? Capital flower (4,5) HERB PARIS {HERB} {PARIS}
18 – Sweet dish brings out expression of surprise, using damp dishcloth initially laundered (9,7) CHRISTMAS PUDDING {CHRIST}{USING+DAMP+D*}
20 – Primarily the route undertaken easily was exact (4) TRUE {T}{R}{U}{E}
22 – Expunge power inside to exhaust (7) DEPLETE {DE{P}LETE}
24 – Merge, to capitulate over a greenhorn at home (5,2) BLEND IN {B{L}END} {IN}
26 – Positive or negative stimulus primarily inside nascent programs undergoing testing (5) INPUT {I}{N}{P}{U}{T}
27 – Cooked-up stories one found tucked in with reference to a cooking appliance (10) ROTISSERIE {STORIES*}{R{1}E}
29 – I get social, remarkably exercising an ‘I’ specialist’s trait (10) EGOISTICAL*
32 – Boarded transport to go north (3,2)  GOT ON {TO+GO*}{N} or {TO+GO+N}*
33 – Drink for a careless abstainer losing Bachelor of Arts from the US (7) RETSINA (-ab)STAINER*
34 – Football player left in a sewer (7) TACKLER {TACK{L}ER}
36 – A troublesome situation to over-infuse (4) STEW [DD]
37 – Unruliness shocked our present bosses (16) – OBSTREPEROUSNESS*
41 – Having lots of space reportedly most cold and damp (9) RHEUMIEST(~roomiest)
42 – 27 is used in this (4) OVEN [CD]
44 – Shower liberally to look narrowly by proxy inside (6) PEPPER {PE{PP}ER}
46 – Make up an aircraft belly landing (7) PANCAKE [DD]
47 – Gloriously almost sick with passionate desire, seriously, without limited sex (13) ILLUSTRIOUSLY {IL(-l)}{LUST}{(-sex)RIOUSLY}
48 – Lever the French with unknown cane extract sweet (6,5) BARLEY SUGAR {BAR}{LE}{Y}{ SUGAR}
49 – Whisk, for example, German speculator taking note (3,6) EGG BEATER {EG}{G} {BEA{TE}R}

DOWN
1   Drink turned over, about deficient detective being turned over (6,5) MULLED CIDER {MULLED} {(-k)CID}{ER}<=
2   – Do away with backward row to get more dishonest (7) DIRTIER {DIR<=}{TIER}
3   – One class without a student observed in free preparation (9) FRICASSEE {FR{1}{C(-l)ASS}EE}
4   Nits for example with hollow goods (4) EGGS {EG}{G(-ood)S}
5   Refuse-basket for South Indian first lady (5) SIEVE {SI}{EVE}
6   – Foreign dudes put in are not challenged (10) UNDISPUTED*
7   Bled with percolated report (7) LEECHED (~leached)
8    Incorrect articulation by short young lady and professional sister at agency initially taking it on (16) MISPRONUNCIATION {MIS(-s)}{PRO}{NUN}{CIA}{T}{I}{ON}
9   Supplies base with knick-knacks (6) EQUIPS {E}{QUIPS}
10 – Area between 23.4378 N and S (13) INTERTROPICAL [CD]
11 – Greek not at all difficult, but most slippery (9) GREASIEST {GR}{EASIEST}
17 – I am a writer of alternate letters and competent over a headland having an impervious feature (16) IMPENETRABLENESS {I’M}{PEN}{(-l)E(-t)T(-e)R(-s)}{ABLE}{NESS}
19 – Hold fast below a pronounced stone chest (7) SUBSIST {SUB}{SIST}(~cist) [Many had this as 'cyst' which is incorrect]
21 – Where money is coined time after time (4) MINT {MIN}{T}
23 – Short small-made from French derisive remark over a French meal (5-8) PETIT-DEJEUNER {PETIT(-e)}-{DE}{JE{UN}ER}
25 – Remove cooking deposits with electric flux, for example, to be idle (7) DEGLAZE {D}{EG}{LAZE}
28 – Appropriate surreptitiously moral transgression of King (4) SINK {SIN}{K}
30 – Noble’s plea is what the messiah taught his disciples (5,6) LORD’S PRAYER {LORD’S} {PRAYER}
31 – Distraught Nicole wore a temperature lowering apparatus (4,6) WINE COOLER*
32 – Air, say but turn back to head off drop inside an upscale restaurant cum bar (9) GASTROPUB {GAS}{T{(-d)ROP}UB<=}
35 – Escaroles used to prepare a dish (9) CASSEROLE*
38 – Making lace with that thing when husband is absent (7)TATTING {T(-h)AT}{T(-h)ING}
39 – Elaborate exhibition model (7) EXPOSIT {EXPO}{SIT}
40 – Setter’s confession of being ashen and run through (6) IMPALE {I’M}{PALE}
43 – To follow every other teen is rude (5) ENSUE {(-t)E(-e)N} {(-i)S} {(-r)U(-d)E}
45 – Brick kiln waste for beer down under (4) GROG [DD] [Answered as DREG by many]

Tail piece : The CW also had a Pangram with themed entries of Food & Drinks built in from the consummate foodie that's me.

Special thanks to Chaturvasi for test solving this Jumbo and finally thanks once again to those who participated and also to those who didn't :-)

45 comments:

  1. Down memory lane

    At the very outset, I seek a little bit of 'latitude' for the 'longitude' of this message.

    A big salute to Col Deepak Gopinath and the entire THCC Solvers' Regiment on this red-letter day. I fully endorse the tribute written by Venkatesh on Feb 2 (10:58), heralding the fifth anniversary, as also the sentiments expressed by Raju Umamaheswar, Bhala and others.

    No flattery, this. The commitment, efficiency, promptness, patience and dedication shown by the Col, without expecting anything in return, but, on the other hand, spending a lot of resources in terms of manhours, energy (and finance too) are simply out of this world.

    Without reflections on any other forum - please correct me if I am wrong - I wonder if there is any other blog - at least in the whole country - which is exclusively dedicated to solving of crosswords and which, at the same time, has been riding the waves of success and popularity as much as the THCC has been. A big 'Thank You' to the boss and his ever-supportive wife, Gita Gopinath.

    I, for one, had bumped into this blog during a random search sometime in March 2009. I have been solving TH crosswords for over twentyfive years. But I must honestly admit that I could hone my skills and solve the puzzles faster only after I began following this blog.

    Initially, I was just following with rapt admiration the posts made by CV, Shuchi, Suresh and others. If I am not mistaken, Raghunath too has been a long-standing member of this forum.

    Soon, by June 2009, I mustered courage and began taking part in the discussions. Now looking back, I still feel the absence of Anokha, Sembhayya, Svemuri, Pammechchu, Maddy, Veer, Ganesh T S and many other regulars of those days. Dr Satya Narimetla, are you listening from the US? By the way, Thomas Jay Cubb - (a nice homophonic name!) is being missed too.

    I recall the lively one-to-one interaction in this forum between Neyartha and Shuchi, sometime in July 2009. Once. there was an attempt to decode the name Neyartha in different ways. I also remember a scholarly advisory from CV on how to write Arabic numbers in Roman numeral form. Whenever there was any doubt, either CV, Bhavan or Shuchi always stepped in and settled the issue with authority.

    Very interesting topics have come up for discussion over the years. The 'No Joy' (NJ) days must have been etched in everyone's memory.

    (to be continued)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. (Continued from above)

      While on the subject of cognate anagrams, I had given a list in the early days. Maybe Ajeesh, Balu, Ramesh and many others will like these.

      Adolf Hitler - Hated for ill, Astronomer - moon-starer, Cleanliness - all niceness, Declaration - an oral edict, Eleven plus two - Twelve plus one, Impersonation - apers in motion, Life Insurance - I rule finances, Margaret Thatcher - The great charmer, Madame Curie - Radium came, The Mona Lisa - Ah, not a smile?, Remuneration - Our men earn it, Slanderous - Done as slur, Total abstainer - Is not late at bar, William Shakespeare - We all make his praise.

      The blog got a new sparkle and complexion when Kishore happened. Over the years, I have had the privilege of visiting the Colonel in person, and also meeting Shuchi, CV, Bhargav, Kishore, Padmanabhan, Dr Srinivasan, Vinod Raman, Sujeet and many others. The S&B meets brought many of us together. The warmth and camaraderie this blog has created is just unimaginable.

      Another achievement of this blog is the ascent of an entirely new set of setters, which in fact has turned out to be The Hindu's gain. Kudos to all of them - all the past and present setters.

      It is always a pleasure to go through the comments from the current regulars like T Shrikanth, Sandhya, Suresh, Bhala, Ramesh, Balu (MB), Raju, Vijay Sarvagnam, Rengaswamy, Raghunath, Rita Mathur, Dr Gayathri - long time no 'hear' - Ajeesh, Lakshmi Vaidyanathan, and occasional posts from PKP Swami, Eswaran, Sujatha, Ram, Sumitra, Dr Pankaja, Pavalamani Pragasam and others, not forgetting Gita Iyer (Aham Gitasmi'!) from the distant US. (If any name has been left out, it is only inadvertent.)

      On the flipside and on a lighter note, my only grouse is that this blog has not been allowing us to take rest even on Sunday mornings. ;-)

      Well, did this sound like a formal toast? Here's wishing the Col and family good health, long life and decades of blogging to keep us hooked.

      Thank you, Deepak, for providing us with this unique forum. Our gratitude to Gita as well. She is a great hostess and we cherish the hospitality we received at your place on two occasions.

      Delete
    2. What a nice summation/commentary befitting the occasion, 'Fifth Anniversary of The Blog' ! Liked all those 'anagrams' too :)

      Delete
  2. Congrats, Anish and Sandy, and hearty greetings to Colonel Gopinath on his third born's birthday. The jumbo was a black and white elephant and quite an entertainer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. + 1.

      Well deserved by Anish and Sandy, the random selection apart.

      Delete
  3. A few notes regarding today's toons:
    a. Five, of course, to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the Blog
    b. Three of them are on request from Dr. S Venkatesh: 15a, 46a, 8d
    c. The one under 37a is to be read with 29a
    d. Two of them are easy mini-puzzles, open for solving.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Kishore,

    Is that Cocoa who is blending in ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not exactly the right shape, I think. Just drew freehand without ref. to the pet

      Delete
    2. Length & height is right. Nose could have been longer

      Delete
    3. Of course, a foodie like you would notice Cocoa ;-)

      Delete
    4. For the information of recent entrants: Cocoa is the Col's pet dog - a friendly, lively and lovable companion.

      Delete
    5. When I first sighted the Colonel (at that time CV and his brother Bhargav were with me), he was preceded by Cocoa

      Delete
  5. Kishore, are those red lips of MM? JFK says so.

    I thought the lisp was to take care enough not to ruin the lipstick...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, NJM is the right answer. The missing tooth leading to the lisp is a blot, but the beauty spot in the North-East is a dead give away

      Delete
    2. Never knew Norma Jeanne has a beauty spot. You are indeed a man for details...

      Delete
    3. Read ot as 'Norma Jeanne had'...

      Delete
    4. Pardon the unintended pun on 'dead' in 844

      Delete
    5. BTW, lisp is an anagram of lips ...

      Delete
  6. Congrats, Anish Madhavan and Sandhya ma'am ! Spl Thanks to Col Sir, for bringing out such a Jumbo Special CW !

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy fifth anniversary Colonel!
    @Col, Richard &Kishore: Thank you :)
    I can't believe my entry is getting a prize!
    I had second thoughts about sending my solutions because I was unable to solve the crossword as soon as it was put up - thanks to morning chores :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Doesn't come as a great surprise Sandhya, we all know when an anno is pending, you're out there first with the parsing. Well deserved no doubt

      Delete
  8. Great all around. Congrats Anish and Sandhya. Nice toons Kishore, after seeing the first one was reminded of Steven Seagal in that movie -- Under Siege was it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, Bhala. This toon was a re-run of the one put out o 7.12.13, but with change of text and some mess created by splotches ...

      Delete
  9. Happy 5 th anniversary (B'day :) ) Colonel Sir !
    (Feeling very sad that I could'nt participate :( )

    ReplyDelete
  10. Happy 5th Anniversary, Colonel Gopinath!
    Hearty congratulations Sandhya and Anish Madhavan on winning the coveted prize from the blog-in-charge.
    Thank you Richards for bringing back the old memories. My entry into THCC was similar to yours, but in Oct 2010.
    After seeing the answer with anno, I feel we could have cracked the Jumbo easily!!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Congrats Col Sir as well all the setters, bloggers, commenters and lurkers on another milestone for this wonderful blog. One amazing aspect about THCC is the consistency and sense of bonhomie it has maintained over the years. Even when I visited the blog after 2-3 years, it felt just the same with the only difference that a lot more new faces ( handles) had become part of the family.

    It is only befitting that the blog shares its B'day with Facebook, whose popularity it definitely rivals among our niche group. May THCC live to see many more glorious years. On the aside, thanks Richard for remembering old comrades, including me, in your fantastic toast. Am sure like me, others will also drop in once in a while in spite of our other commitments.

    Thanks everyone for the wishes, I think it was destined 'coz I visited THCC after long on Sunday and there was this gigantic blank grid staring at me...the rest as they say is history and 20% probability :)

    Anish

    ReplyDelete
  12. Congratulations to Anish and Sandhya ( why don't we have many more females like you?) for being in the honours list !! In life, the journey is what that matters and not the destination !! Whereas, In cryptic crosswords, it is both the journey and the destination that bring so much joy and happiness, thanks to the fellow- bloggers. I am happy to see that I had made only one error of putting in MILLET CIDER instead of MULLED CIDER ! MY loss ! I can pardon myself for this because I had almost been frustrated by the flitting sideways and upwards and backwards of the cueing, because of the extended grid on all the four ways and of course, for the utter helplessness in having to send the entries , the process for which could have been more user-friendly. May be , we learn as we go along ! Technology has its own drawbacks.

    As Richard has rightly pointed out, THCC is the only unique blog that facilitates a learning process for all solvers, oldies and middlies and newbies.. No one can claim to have achieved mastery of this fine art of solving as each day is a new day for learning and adding up to one's knowledge. It has also brought together a great bondage-- for most of us, unknown ' faces' amongst us, who are only identified by their names and their talents in solving and ---- humour and wit. How enjoyable !! A far cry from of my Nairobi days in a coffee house, amidst a group of isolated , exclusive and insulated coterie of solvers who were settlers from the UK huddled over the London broadsheets ! !! However, I could break ice with them too , many of whom turned out to be great friends later.

    May our blog flourish and prosper for many more years to come and may the good Col Deepak ( how could he be so laconic, reticent and reserved and yet so sociable through this blog?) continue to regale us.

    Many more years of happy solving by all ye-fellow solvers.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Joining in very late, having missed all the fun in the last couple of days since I was engaged in celebrating another equally interesting jubilee- our Golden Jubilee of passing out of College of Engineering,Guindy. Had a whale of a time with old friends but missed out solving Col.'s Jumbo.It looks great and I want to catch up.

    Congrats to Col. for this excellent, educative and unbeatable blog. May it see many anniversaries and keep informing and entertaining all of us. Whatever I have learnt about CW solving is from this blog. Richard's toast is simply superb- only grouse is that he has left nothing for us to add. He is the Toast master!

    Congrats to Anish & Sandhya.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. His toast is absolutely crisp

      Delete
    2. That reminds me of a clue (suitably edited) from last month's Guardian Genius:

      Like "toast one side" initially caught posh English accent going around (5)

      Delete
  14. Happy 5th Anniversary, Col.
    Richard's opening comments echoed every blogger's feeling.
    Everyday is a new learning experience, thanks to this Blog.
    Congratulations to Anish & Sandhya.
    Wishing the blog many more anniversaries.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Kishore, Your Cartoon for 24A reminded me of Malvalio' famous quote :Have you seen the picture of " We Three"? in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dr. DS, Reis Magos in Goa !

      Delete
  16. The clown Feste's enigma, mentioned by Dr D Srinivasan, alludes to a popular painting or inn sign which represented two asses or loggerheads and bore the caption 'We Three'. This puzzling tag inevitably prompted its reader to pose the fatal question: 'Who is the third ass?'. To this, the reply, of course, was: whoever poses that question!

    Kishore: Your utterances are cryptic and require deciphering w.r.t. the context. Reis Magos is the Portuguese name for the Three Wise Men from the Bible. All of us know of the Magi, in the Gospel of Matthew and Christian tradition, who visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

    Richard: Your trip down memory lane makes for absorbing reading. Golden nuggets like these could be added on at THCC Members or at an appropriate place for ready reference by visitors to this blog. The cognate anagrams are wonderful. But,
    '..either CV, Bhavan or Shuchi ...'! Surprised at this slip from a reputed writer and an editor.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NR, exactly my counterpoint. I could not call any of my readers as the third ass, hence made them the third King!

      Delete
  17. Happy blog anniversary Colonel. Wish you continued success and fun times with blogging.

    Enjoyed reading Richard's note. I think THCC's greatest strength is its family feel. It is a rare blog on which when a first-timer posts, the commenters feel comfortable enough to extend a warm welcome.

    Congrats to Anish and Sandhya for winning the special. I had been traveling and so could not participate, will attempt it next.

    ReplyDelete

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