Monday 24 March 2014

No.11040, Monday 24 Mar 2014, Arden


Arden's entertaining 4th missed out in online TH. Thanks to Deepak for typing in all the clues

ACROSS
1   Master class with many absent and sick (7) MACABRE (MA CAliBRE)
5   Keep away from a black mark (7) ABSTAIN (A B STAIN)
9   Sir Francis marked off dismissing first mate (5) DRAKE (mARKED*)
          Sir Francis Haddock is more popular with me!
10 Is it amusing or funny? He doesn’t know (9) IGNORAMUS (AMUSING OR)*
11 Sadhus sent penitent back inside, it’s an absurdity (9) INEPTNESS (T<)
12 Tungsten has and advantage over Iron (5) WEDGE (W(=symbol for wolfram/tungsten) EDGE)
13 & 1dn. Football team on field gets publicity – free (4,6) REAL MADRID (REALM AD RID)
15 Pre-fab structure for parking in the area (8) TERRAPIN (P in TERRAIN)
18 Troublesome American private (2,6) IN CAMERA (AMERICAN*)
19 Law and order could be temporal (4) LOBE (L OBE)
          Reminded me of Calvin's lobotomy!
22 Fix with a little chat, perhaps (5) LATCH (L CHAT*)
24 Playing tic-tac-toe Charlie goes for power shift (9) PETTICOAT (TIcTACTOE+P)*
26 Naval officer’s men involved in one night stand (9) COMMODORE (OR in COMMODE=nightstand)
27 Sheet immersed in oil of Olay retrieved (5) FOLIO (T<)
28 Covering the seed in air (7) DRAPERY (RAPE(seed) in DRY)
29 Boa stretched over some distance (7) FURLONG (FUR LONG)
          For long we used this measure

DOWN
1   See 13 Ac.
2   Each melon when crushed will change colour (9) CHAMELEON (EACH MELON)*
3   Cry when in trouble at least (5) BLEAT (T)
4   Saga of unfinished food – the rumblings start from here (9) EPICENTRE (EPIC ENTREe)
          For me, the rumblings start in the area of importance to the omphaloskeptic
5   She was for a long time without name (5) AGNES (AGES without(=outside) N)
6   Crazy southern men dance (9) SCREWBALL (S CREW BALL)
7   Zeroed in on me with help from outside (5) AIMED (ME with AID outside)
8   Want to have a good man who fitted things together (6) NESTED (NEED has ST)
14 See tipsy Thomas finish the wine it’s disgusting (9) LOATHSOME (LO THOMAS* E)
16 Poor Astor’s complaint over the dish (5,4) ROAST BEEF (ASTOR* BEEF)
17 Complication in accommodating fifty one in a big room, perhaps (9) IMBROGLIO (LI in (BIG ROOM)*)
20 Quiet, extremely powerful and corrosive thing (6) PLACID (PL ACID)
21 Brave astronaut lost a member (6) STRONG (armSTRONG)

23 Ram down on a place in Florida (5) TAMPA (TAMP A)
24 Flower power, may be one year later (5) PEONY (P ONE* Y)
25 Decide hell is a no-no (5) INFER (INFERno)

109 comments:

  1. Not convinced with 'li' for many in 1A

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I suspect Arden probably changed it from 'fifty one' that he might have used earlier, seeing the 'fifty one' is also used in 17d. Yes, it is not so convincing.

      Delete
    2. And the Korean chappie was not much in favour the last time he was employed

      Delete
  2. I wonder when The HINDU is going to stop goofing up on the crossword

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    Replies
    1. When they stop the crossword (perish the thought!)

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    2. At least we then know what NOT to expect !! Today again, there is a kaput Black Blank gunk on the Orkut. Thanks for the copy, Kishore. So thoughtful of you. This too on a day I started buying it, telling yesterday to the newsboy to deliver daily. I have nothing but contempt for such papers that charge Rs. 5/- as opposed to the TImes at Rs'2.50 and the DC and the NIE at Rs. 3/- each. I buy these papers only for the crosswords, overlooking the value for money, ( thinking that in Nairobi the newspapers are charged Ksh. 50/- each !! ) And imagine a whole column by the READERS EDITOR !! REALLY ? !! I am stopping the newsboy to deliver from tomorrow forthwith !! I was hoping to participate in the blog daily before 10 am but it is impossible any way !! I have to wait and do the crosswords on line and to depend upon good and considerate, fellow-blogger Kishore for his noblesse oblige !!

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    3. The Nation used to have prices in Kshs, Ushs and Tshs on it. Ushs was about 300 or 3000. A million meant nothing big in Ushs.a meal for two persons in a restaurant could be half a million

      Delete
  3. At first I didn't understand what K meant in the preamble.
    Only after a few moments of thinking and a little search on the Net, I understood.
    * * *
    This crossword has not appeared online as of now.
    I think that not only in TH but also on other sites much of the Web edition is automated depending upon tags,etc.
    So the CWD may not have appeared online because probably some tag input was missed out elsewhere.
    Of course, someone should check whether all the sections are up - this is probably done later in the morning when fresh shift staff come.
    Or, if someone misses it and notifies the paper, it may come online.
    * * *
    K has written the blog. Did DG type out the clues for him earlier to make task easier for him? Clarify!
    * * *
    The other day the grid online was incomplete. I don't think it was ever repositioned.
    * * *
    To avoid mistakes in a feature, stop the feature (as K said jocularly). Well, I have no problem! As long as K send me a cheque for work not done!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. K has written the blog. Did DG type out the clues for him earlier to make task easier for him? Clarify!

      Yes I did, when I saw the CW was not there online and saw no draft from K I realised he was out on his walk, so I typed them out and sent it across to K besides posting them at Orkut and The HUB

      Delete
    2. Taking your questions backward, no I did not recommend stopping, but merely said that 'as long as we are alive, we will keep on committing mistakes'. Just clarifying, though I am sure you had got my drift earlier.

      I started solving the paper version and DG started typing the clues. He sent them to me and I pasted them into the blogger and started adding the answers and annos. The problem was that I cam back after my walk and opened the online paper at about 7 and if I had to type out the clues as well, I would have required some time for that. Deepak's help saved me some time, which I used for drawing.

      Alas, it may not be set right at all in the online version. In similar cases in the past, I do not ever recall it being rectified later. A newspaper, being a perishable commodity, probably commands more interest in the staff in respect of tomorrow's yet to come paper, than in today's relic.

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    3. DG living on the Old Madras Road on the eastern corner of Bangalore and K on the southern end on Bannerghatta Road. What speed and accuracy in communication!

      Thank Goodness for the World Wide Web! What would have been the situation without it? ;-)

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    4. Oh, what a tangled web we weave: When first we practise to deceive!

      Great Scott! I forgot who wrote that!

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    5. Richard, you forgot Arden living on the Northern side

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    6. You cannot forget Sir Walter.

      You are a confirmed TT. Otherwise others could have blamed it on Peter Sc.. or Sc..ch effect!

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    7. DG 9:43 - Oh yes! My lapse.

      But here, then, I was referring to only the solving process and sending across answers, cartoons etc.

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    8. My 9:47 was addressed to Kishore, in response to his 9:35.

      Delete
  4. In Chennai there is Five Furlong Road - near ther ace course in Guindy.
    * * *
    A taxi service seen widely inn BNG has come to CHN. Let's hope we get 'peak' service.

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  5. Is L for law in Chambers crossword abbreviation list?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. L is used for law in at least two commonly used usages;

      BL, Bachelor of Law
      mil (and the other outlaws) - mother in law

      I have not checked Chambers, but as CV once put it, common usages, though not in Chambers may be used. For eg. NDA a few days back

      Delete
    2. Also, I remember CV saying that TH specs do not specify Chambers. So I think the answer to your q is y

      Delete
    3. L for Law as in BL and relative -in laws is sufficient ground for it's usage.
      Thefreedictionary.com has atleast 15- 20 abbreviations generally for almost each alphabet, so I'm not sure whether the abbreviation, outside of Chambers and not used commonly is fair.

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    4. Not all online dictionaries - or so-called dictionaries - can be relied upon.
      Please, don't cite anything from the urban dictionary!

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    5. OMG, the UD seems to treat almost every word as a euphemism for one unmentionable or another

      Delete
  6. Talking of the ways of the papers, RKL's pocket cartoons were used by ToI on the front page.
    When there was a problem in supplies, old cartoons were recycled.
    Some cartoons may have been resued with topical captions.
    No criticism of all that.
    The question is why are the present cartoonist's pocket cartoons tucked away inside?
    Only gods can have the sacred place?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. On the positive side, the ET has started printing Mario's cartoons once again on a once a week basis in one of the supplements on the last page. I am not complaining. Nice to see Ms Fonseca once again.

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    2. Each newspaper seems to have one or more of its own gods. TH for eg. in the sports page always puts the picture of Makarand Waingankar (and a pretty large one at that) when it prints his articles.

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    3. I have always wondered why a columnist's s/c pic should appear as part of the body.
      * * *
      Apparently, THC setters are nobodies.
      * * *
      BL carries sketches of all contributors not only in the Comment page but also in news pages. But the brand cwd setter remains only a name!

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    4. Plant seeds, my first agriculturist!

      Delete
  7. Oh yes - as a former newspaper I am quite aware of it.
    In IE (undivided) I was on night shift every other week.
    In those days we used to put the paper to bed around 2 a.m.
    Before that a 'mofussil' edition would have been produced and we we would have seen the printed paper and made suitable changes for the city edition.
    So even in those wee hours the paper which the public was yet to see had become pazhaya paper for us.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are not a former newspaper ;-)

      You are a former newspaperman!

      Delete
    2. Beautifully put, Richard! I thought of that but I was a bit slow and you were an express train

      Delete
    3. Please pardon me for typos!
      You didn't give me time to review, delete, repost!
      * * *
      BTW, the review facility in Blogger is not that useful.
      If the review is similar to how the post would look (as in some messagebaords), we can easily review. Here, the review looks just like how we typed.

      Delete
    4. Just pulling your lower extremity, Sir!

      Delete
  8. Deepak
    As a setter I appreciate the efforts that you take over this forum.
    Earlier as a moderator of a Yahoogroup and later as a co-owner and moderator of an Orkut group, I have done a lot to pame THC popular.
    In fact, when once you started this blog with all the answers/anno/bonhomie among readers, I saw no need to nurse the Orkut group.
    But that gave me a lot of friends and I am so grateful all the people - young and old.

    ReplyDelete
  9. 4 Saga of unfinished food – the rumblings start from here (9) EPICENTRE (EPIC ENTRe)

    Anno not clear pl. It has 8 letters after deleting 'e' but the answer has 9 letters.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One e missed out when typing the anno. Food = entree

      Delete
  10. 26A- I filled in the answer with a little doubt, which is still not cleared after seeing the anno. My question is what is the need for the word 'one' in the clue, apart from making it .....well, you know what it is!
    24A- shift 7 petticoat- what is the connection?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 26a one is just for the surface, without it the clue would look lame, but if we put in the wordplay, we would have to use 'a commode'
      24a A shift is a type of dress

      http://momgenerations.com/2010/01/what-is-a-shift-dress/

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    2. One is just adding colour to the clue !!

      A Shift is also a ladies undergarment. Look it up in the dictionary

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    3. Chambers defines shift as a woman's undergarment, smock, chemise or slip

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    4. The 'look it up' part confused me at first.

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    5. That's not illegal in a particular state in the US, as recently reported.

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    6. It is, Raghu. Immediately after the court ruling MA changed the law.

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    7. Padmanabhan
      Some women, when they wake up in the morning very lazily and not prone to the day's chores, they may be shiftless.

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    8. Probably the hubby's shift to do the chores that day!

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    9. Just shifted the goalposts

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  11. A nice puzzle from Arden. Missed out on Real Madrid

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  12. 15A-P for parking? Also, terrapin as a prefab structure is not very common (in fact I had to search for it in the link) and the wordplay is not helpful either.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. P for parking is common. I thought the wordplay was amply clear, yes the meaning is not a very common one.

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    2. P for parking is okay. We see it on the road signs. I too had to confirm it through Google mama

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    3. P for parking is an abbr in Chambers.

      Delete
    4. Padmanabhan
      You have been to the US.
      Haven't you seen those road signs with the letter P?
      http://pixabay.com/en/park-parking-traffic-sign-shield-5845/

      Delete
    5. Yes, I agree I should have known it. Apart from having been to U.S. we see it here too, but more often with a slash across it to indicate 'No Parking'.

      Delete
  13. I could kick myself for missing out on Real Madrid!

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    Replies
    1. Madam, that would have been apt, for missing out on Real Madrid! :-)

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    2. I am not sure which part of the anatomy to commiserate with

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    3. Being good at real mad riddles...

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    4. Thanks for the T, Richard.

      BTW, RM had to face a Messi hatrick in the last 24 hrs

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  14. Re; Commode. Is nightstand one word or two?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightstand

      However, it clarifies that a nightstand had a chamber pot inside it ...

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    2. Wordplay component requires 'nightstand' (one word). As the Col has said, 'one' plays no part in it.
      In the surface reading, men are involved in one-night stand. (two words).
      So some indulgence is required there.

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    3. Indulgence for the clue or the men?

      Delete
  15. Now that we are speaking of the unmentionables,

    There is the following clue in today's Guardian cryptic:

    Granny, say, has problem on undergarment (8)

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    Replies
    1. Don't slide down that slippery slope nor use Alexander's sword to solve the problem!

      Delete
  16. I probably committed some sort of blasphemy at 848 speculating on the discontinuation of the crossword. But then, the mistakes might continue (not in the cwd, though) on the remaining wide canvass of the paper. Reminded me of Thomas Hood, ' the tree is living yet!'.

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  17. There had been some discussion on this blog for each setter to send across his clue-sheet a day in advance so that K can select appropriate clues and prepare his cartoons. This would save K from the last minute strain and help tide over emergent situations like the present one.

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  18. K's cartoon on Armstrong reminded me of a piece of church humour I had created on Neil, a friend's son, some time ago. It had clicked very well.

    Neil often used to serve as an altar boy at the daily prayer service in the local church. Once, as the service began, the priest summoned him by whispering 'Neil, Neil', which, much against his expectation, boomed all over the church over the sound system.

    The entire congregation - faithful in compliance - knelt down instantaneously...

    By the way, Armstrong's look creates an impression as if he is going to be beheaded. ;-)

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    Replies
    1. Thank heavens the priest's exhortation was not seen as a prelude to something else.

      Re the beheading, matchiram dadaami!

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    2. ... with a sword dangling over his head !

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    3. If anyone offers me their head (remember Karna in Karnabharam "Matchiram dadami"), I will refuse saying I am fasting. - Kishore (blog post of 17 Feb, 2014)

      Delete
  19. Kishore,

    There was a point for your expert advice in my post on Sunday evening regarding 9-2-11.

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  20. Perhaps like the tombola chappies saying "two ducks, 22", it is two 1s are two legs. No idea why noyt other combos that lead to 11. Perhaps you can throw more light

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  21. Is there any difference between 'jovially' and 'jocularly'? Can they be used interchangeably?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is a difference.

      Jovial is very close to jolly. But, while jollity is more spontaneous, joviality more a matter of style. Jolly people are happy, jovial people good-natured. Jollity is personal while jovialty involves the role of listeners or onlookers.

      Jocular means something like facetious, but a more easygoing attitude-- facetious people can be jocular, but they also 'target' objects of mild ridicule. A jocular person plays with language, and has a pretty high nonsense quotient. Jocular behavior can be deliberately witty.

      Delete
    2. Another formal word is 'jocund'. This is nothing to do with jokes. It means 'mirthful; merry; cheerful; pleasant.'
      When you're in jocund company, you're with people who are cheerful, pleasant, fun-loving. You're in a happy mood.
      Readers will recall the use of this word in a Wordsworth poem.

      Delete
  22. This has been bothering me very long time. We all do the crossies, learn new words, idioms and phrases. right? but how many of us do really get to use these in our daily lives in our interaction with others? Apart from warding off Alzheimer's , as claimed, and helping in the synapses of our brains and lateral thinking, what other avail? I have an idea. Lets all of us start writing at least one line in our comments using that day's new word, idiom or phrase. I tried doing this at one time earlier , making my comments, but discontinued. So ye-all;, get going from today ! Who will bell the cat? Kishore? Richard? CV? Deepak ? Mukunda? Paddy?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am forced to abstain from this today as I did not come across a new word.

      Delete
  23. Is it a basic trait of our politicians to change colours as easy as a chameleon or it comes up only as a pre election gimmick?

    Good enough Raju?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The chameleon also appears in the Quickie today

      Delete
  24. Suresh has raised this point earlier when some weird CW special words come up.His point was that we hardly get to use such words until we get it again in a CW- maybe, if our memory is good we fill it in without any looking up.

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  25. I did not consider chameleon as a new word but something quite handy to say something.If I have to pick a new word, it has to be Omphaloskeptic. But that is not part of the CW!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Good start, paddy. You've now se the ball rolling. Let other creative minds dribble it forward !

    Does macabre also mean sick? I find it not, though the word sickens my stomach !


    gruesome, grisly, grim, gory, morbid, ghastly, unearthly, grotesque, hideous, horrific, shocking, dreadful, loathsome, repugnant, repulsive, sickening.

    ReplyDelete
  27. The CW is now available in the online edition with the Across clues and upto No 5 of the Down clues but without the grid !!

    ReplyDelete
  28. There is a button for Comments under the incomplete CW in the online edition. All of you should go there and express your dissatisfaction. I have posted the following comment

    Dear Sir,

    What is the use of posting the Crossword in your online edition as an afterthought? Even as an afterthought the Crossword is still incomplete. Clues after 5 Down are missing and the grid has not been uploaded.

    Regards,

    Col Gopinath

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I posted the following:

      Dear Sir,
      Kindly ensure that correct and complete puzzle, including the proper grid and complete set of clues are published online along with the online edition of the paper. Belated and incomplete uploading may not serve any purpose as by then the regular users would have already completed on the basis of the print edition.

      Thanks,
      Kishore

      However, it appears all comments are awaiting moderation and not even one comment is available for viewing.

      Delete
  29. Col. I am not bale to post after typing out the comment.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Did you'll enter the 'captcha' letters?

    ReplyDelete
  31. Thank you Prof Nadathur and CV Sir. What a knowledge source! Thanks Col sahib!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Grid and soon grid now available. But down clues are still down. Sent comments. Now it is working

    ReplyDelete
  33. Read solution grid for soon grid. I typed soln

    ReplyDelete
  34. Kishore @ 11:57 ...Perhaps like the tombola chappies saying "two ducks, 22"

    Here are a few more Tambola quotes used in IAF : House of bamboo door, 54; Savithri where are you, 73; Govinda, Govinda, 77; Frenchman special, 69; etc.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My aunt once won a bottle of Chivas Regal at AFS Hindon in a tambola game

      Delete
    2. Except 69, I could not interpret any of the others. Pl. explain

      Delete
    3. The thri in Savithri probably has something to do with the 3 in 73

      Delete
    4. No 54 House with the Bamboo door is an old song, don't remember who sang it. 6&9 is anyway you like it. 73 and 77 are new to me. I have plenty of others in my list

      Delete
    5. Savithri I suppose sounds like 73

      Delete
    6. Savithri is meant to sound like seven three, perhaps.

      I will keep a similar story for tomorrow. If posted today, many might miss reading it.

      Delete
    7. For 73, it goes like this : Savithri, where are you ? Seven and Three, 73.
      For 69, in love making, the Frenchman prefers it in the 'ultah-phultah' style with his mate.
      For 77, in seven-hills(Tirupati), people raise their hands over their heads uttering Govinda, Govinda
      For 54, House of Bamboo door, number 54, sung by Cliff Richard.

      Delete
    8. Oops, seems I got the singer's name wrong !

      Delete
  35. Andy Williams sang The House of Bamboo

    ReplyDelete

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