Monday 31 March 2014

No.11046, Monday 31 Mar 2014, Klue Klux Klan



KKK has a trio of cities (TURIN, NAGASAKI & OSLO) and a brace of poets (YEATS & LEAR)  in the answers and wordplay, accompanied by a couple of guys with pseudonyms (SAKI & BANNER)  in the puzzle a la Incognito!

ACROSS
1 Liberal Tzar, bizarre innovator (11) TRAILBLAZER (LIBERAL TZAR)*
9 Regular repairman’s revolutionary pain (3,4) EAR ACHE (rEpAiRmAn CHE)
10 Fashionable group like cricket, say (6) INSECT (IN SECT)
11 City’s chance to take in one (5) TURIN (TURN to take in 1)
12 Hideout of untidy eater found within Ranipet borders (7) RETREAT (EATER* in RT)
15 Consumes beheaded poet of yore (4) EATS (yEATS) or (kEATS) having made his advent earlier, See comments
16 Rotate cart made of earthenware (5,5) TERRA COTTA (ROTATE CART)
18 Resemblance of commander with one in jail (10) COMPARISON (COM. A in PRISON)
20 Come back from 26, say, by cable car (4) TRAM (MART<)
23 Jobs makes a mistake, and accepts (7) ERRANDS (ERRS accepts AND)
24 Gabriel, for one, reverses direction at the end, evokes ire (5) ANGER (ANGEL-L+R)
26 American, Zambian, Australian leaders admitted into inn at marketplace (6) BAZAAR (A Z A in BAR)
27 Royal gallery found in clandestine surroundings (7) STATELY (TATE in SLY)
28 Never odd or even, say, these are the same either way (11) PALINDROMES DD (NEVER ODD OR EVEN<>, for eg.) my favourite fish
 
DOWN
2 Young trustee about to replace great leader (6) RECENT (REGENT-G+C)
3 Goat is amidst nine (4) IBEX (BE in IX)
4 Newly-wed, cross, pushed first girl to end of chamber (10) BRIDEGROOM (BRID(-G)E(+G) ROOM)
5 Remove naughty brats caught in the act;… (8) ABSTRACT (BRATS* in ACT)
6 ….the outlandish can then charm (7) ENCHANT (CAN THEN)* 
7 Awareness of judge harbouring one… (9) SENTIENCE (SENTENCE harbouring 1)
8 …fungus found in sundry rotis (3,3) DRY ROT (T)
13  Confused bird led ewe astray (10) BEWILDERED (BIRD LED EWE)*
14 These might turn a Banner into a monster (5,4) GAMMA RAYS (GK-  ref to Bruce Banner who becomes The Hulk under influence of a gamma bomb)
17 Torment a writer in Japanese city (8) NAGASAKI (NAG A SAKI)
19 Wine without Indian spices is right (7) MARSALA (MASALA outside R)
21 Feel sorry for last Lear’s bird (6) REGRET (R EGRET)
22 Bill slipped in to confront misrepresentation (6) FACADE (AD in FACE)
25 Leaders of opposition stutteringly leave office in this city (4) OSLO (acrostic)

ENDNOTE

For a Sunday special in the future, a community CWD is being planned for which CV will contribute a filled-in grid. Clue writing will be by members of this blog.
Volunteers have to send a mail to chaturvasi{at}yahoo{dot}com with THCCCC in the subject line.
As there may be 30 clues, he needs 15/30 volunteers. One member will write one clue each. If there are fewer volunteers, clues will be distributed pro rata and any left-overs he will tackle.
He will assign clues to voluntary clue-writers and do the rest of the work. All are welcome including Venkatesh who, if interested, may write to him. 
Credit will be in general terms with names disclosed but not which clue number. In the email indicate the byline you want if it is not your real name.

See the comments section in yesterday's post for further on this.

127 comments:

  1. Happy Ugadi to everyone and families.

    For the first time, as far as I can remember, I had 100% success with a KKK puzzle. Could crack a good number of them at first look. (Good honing process and evolution, thanks to this blog!)

    TRAILBLAZER, INSECT, TURIN, RETREAT, TERRA COTTA, COMPARISON, ERRANDS, STATELY, BEWILDERED were really good.

    Specially liked RECENT (switched from REGENT), ABSTRACT (we had this yesterday), BAZAAR, TRAM, IBEX, ENCHANT, BRIDEGROOM (tongue in cheek!), SENTIENCE, DRY ROT (a rare telescopic clue, an absolute giveaway!), NAG+A+SAKI, MA(R)SALA, REGRET, FAC(AD)E, OSLO and others.

    9A - Responses - if one word or two words - expected, quoting different dictionaries.

    28A - PALINDROMES - My COD.

    ReplyDelete
  2. 15A - I thought KKK had Keats, as a poet, in mind.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Of course, nothing was lost. But 'yore' gives precedence to Keats.

      Delete
    2. I buy your argument. KKK will have to confirm which of the bards did he have in mind.

      Delete
  3. 9a as Richard says can go both ways, maybe... Chambers has it as one word under the main heading ear. But can it also be two words with ear as and adjective? Open to debate.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If the debate is dragged, we all may have 9A.... ;-)

      Delete
    2. Or worse, carpel tunnel syndrome ...

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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. After I have created the grid, I will send clues to each of the above.

      I think you mean, you will send the WORD for which the clue is to be written

      Delete
    2. Why hasn't our ace solver Sandhya checked in? Out of station?

      Delete
    3. She might paradrop in later ;-)

      Delete
    4. There she is just 2 min.s behind above comment. I am sure she will send a mail to CV forthwith.

      Delete
    5. Deepak
      Thanks for correcting it! Of course, it's the word(s) to clue.

      Delete
    6. I would like to participate as "CLUELESS".
      sender's name: CHARI

      Delete
    7. Reposted after edit)

      So far I have received requests from the following volunteers to participate in the THCC CC

      1 Deepak
      2 Padmanabhan
      3 Prashanth Sai
      4 Raghunath
      5 Ajeesh (email to come to me from him)
      6 Lakshmi Vaidyanathan
      7 Kishore
      8 Bhavan
      9 Sowmya
      10 Vasant
      11 Richard
      12 Ramesh
      13 Ram (ARS)
      14 Vijay who signs in as VJ
      15 Shrikanth

      Now I have 15 and I can handle this by allotting two words/phrases to each - quite manageable.

      However, to give a chance to any eager member who signed in just today, I am willing to accept any more request till 7 a.m. tomorrow (Tue).

      Please note that the participants' names will appear only as a list and clues will not be credited individually.

      After I have created the grid, I will send words/phrases to each of the above.

      While sending the words/phrases to clue I might perhaps add clue variety needed so we avoid the preponderance of a particular clue type.

      Once the words/phrases are sent, volunteers will be required to send clues within 3 days - which will embrace a weekend.

      All future correspondence on this subject will be directly to the volunteers.

      Ajeesh - send email to me.

      Delete
    8. I am happy to contribute a clue or two as well, if required and if not too late. Balaji Agoram (BAgoram@gmail.com)

      Delete
    9. Am happy to contribute a clue or two if not too late... Balaji. (BAgoram@gmail.com)

      Delete
  5. Replies
    1. There you are! Happy Ugadi to you and family!

      Delete
    2. I always found the spellying Ugadi or Ugaadi a bit odd. Since the word probably comes from Yuga, a period and Adi, a beginning, I've always felt Yugadi is more apt. Hence, I have used that spelling in the Greeting toon and mentioned new beginnings ...

      Delete
    3. I am with you Kishore. I too find it odd that 'Yuga' (era or eon) plus 'aadi' (beginning) could become Ugaadi. Found it safe to go with the majority...;-)

      Delete
    4. Even in Kannada/Telugu the word is written starting with an U or Yu. Many even pronounce it as oogadi.

      Delete
    5. Richard, both you and I belong to the minority community ;-)

      Delete
    6. You have a way with words!

      Delete
    7. It is too dangerous to make honest admissions at times...

      Delete
  6. Why is HAPPY handwritten and UGADI is not?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Quirk...

      I wanted UGADI to sort of match up with the Y

      Delete
    2. Or as Ajeesh might put it, a certain Happy may be happy at the handwritten script ;-)

      Delete
    3. That gives it a personal touch, Ajeesh, coming from inside. Besides the letters look like dancing icons, oozing with happiness. ;-)

      Delete
    4. @Kishore 8.53: thank U for personalizing my greeting:):):)

      Delete
  7. 28 Never odd or even, say, these are the same either way (11) PALINDROMES DD (NEVER ODD OR EVEN<>, for eg.) my favourite fish

    My favourite too but I'm a veggie Kishore ;-)

    Happy Ugadi to all!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So are Bengali brahmins who eat fish.

      Delete
    2. And Kashmiri and Konkani brahmins eat fish too

      Delete
  8. Ref cartoon for BRIDEGROOM

    I happened to spot an AAP campaigner with a broom in hand, alighting from a DUSTER...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AAP candidate for Bangalore South Nina Nayak is a relative by marriage, to wit, my wife's cousin effectively dividing the fairly large Konkani votes between her, Nandan Nilekani and BJP supporters.

      Delete
  9. 23 Jobs makes a mistake, and accepts (7) ERRANDS (ERRS accepts AND)

    KKK makes a mistake here? Should it have been: accepted, which spoils the grammar or accepts, and ...?

    ReplyDelete
  10. SUDARSHAN/CHARI/CLUELESS

    Send email request to me.
    See posts in yesterday's blog for email ID

    While a volunteer may express his desire here so fellow-members may know, the request to particpate must be intimated to me by email

    ReplyDelete
  11. Belated (Y)ugadi wishes to all. majority/ minority does not count in sending Good Wishes!
    I liked errands/ jobs very much, being the man of the Moment.Different kind of jobs.
    I am still not able to connect 'never odd or even' (though I got the word being a dead giveaway)
    7D- 'Judge' as a verb for sentence?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Never odd or even
      Is a palindrome

      Delete
    2. ...Ummm, great ! I filled in Palindrome alright but missed to note that "Never odd or even" itself is a Palindrome !

      Delete
  12. Is it not odd that today is the first day of one year and the last day of another?

    ReplyDelete
  13. An accounting mind accounts (or counts) everything!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Looking forward and backward at a time...

      Delete
    2. I'm staying in the present not past or future, as they sat.

      Delete
    3. Should read 'as they say'.

      Delete
    4. Figures and dates have an unique relaionship. A good figure can lead to plenty of dates

      Delete
    5. Sounds like a man-date, figuratively speaking...

      Delete
    6. Being mathematically inclined, figures always make one think of multiplication

      Delete
  14. Today's game

    For his cartoons Kishore uses the same drawings but with different captions.

    I think today's cartoon is an example as I remember seeing the drawing before. It's the red lips of the bride that were a give-away.

    Now write a caption for today's drawing!

    Mine:

    Father, make it quick! I don't want to keep her long...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Until debt do us part...

      Delete
    2. Hope it is long enough to say "I do".

      Delete
    3. Is 'Until death do us part' the original? It sounds strange in the present circumstances.

      Delete
    4. Continuing the broom theme: Dust we art and to dust we returneth...

      Delete
    5. CV has rightly spotted a reuse. But this bride is thinner compared to the previous one as she is not gravida

      Delete
    6. She sashayed down the aisle, her train sweeping the floor,
      He consented to be the broom, the alternative was the door!

      Delete
    7. Father, make it quick! I don't want to keep her long...

      This reminded me of some much-married celebrities from Hollywood...

      Delete
    8. If the same priest had married RB and ET the second time around, he'd have said, " you both are coming up before me for the second time, aren't you?" Sounding like a reprimanding judge

      Delete
    9. I had the same couple in mind.

      Delete
  15. Jaya nama samvatsara subhakankshalu to all.

    Happy Ugadi and a prosperous new year

    ReplyDelete
  16. A nice puzzle from KKK. Missed out on 11Ac and 2Dn, nevertheless I enjoyed it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. 11 City’s chance to take in one (5) TURIN (TURN to take in 1)

    Could there be a typo in the clue pl ? Change in place of Chance ? I took 'try' meaning 'chance' and tried to get answer but failed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Though Turin itself is shrouded in mystery, it was clearly Richard's turn/chance to oanswer MB's q.

      Delete
    2. K 10:40 - Nice veiled reference to the Shroud of Turin.

      Delete
    3. Had to Google for 'Shroud of Turin' and got the veiled info ! Thanks. :)

      Delete
  18. Replies
    1. RL, another convert embraces our thin king ...

      Space is white, not black!

      Delete
  19. 18a simply bowled over by 'a' tricky switch for 'i'.7d equally nice.3d worth a splmention.Nice puzzle.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Turin also reminds me of a once popular soft drink Torino (the Italian version of the name) as well as FIAT

    ReplyDelete
  21. Yugaadikrut, yugaavartho, naikamaayo mahaashanah: - Vishnu Sahasra Naama. Happy New Year to all. Shubha Nava Varsha!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Richard,
      Sanskrit is your second language in school or you learned it out of interest? I have been following your apt quotes in Sanskrit on several occasions.My regret is that in the place where I went to school, I did not have that option.

      Delete
    2. No erudition, but plain flair, boss!

      Delete
    3. I was born in a Konkani-speaking family, grew up among Tulu-speaking friends, communicated with Malayalam-speaking traders and Tamil-speaking estate workers, studied in Kannada medium up to SSLC, now fully into writing in English. No blowing of own trumpet, this. Just jack of all, master of none.

      Delete
  22. Was KKK easier today? Solved all for the first time, I think!
    Too many samosas not good for one, so I'll refrain from them!
    Happy Ugadi to one and all.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Replies
    1. A few are ready & eager to share with you.

      Delete
  24. Yes, if I remember right, KKK has purposely toned down the last 2/3 CW's (acceding to popular demand?)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Happy Yugadi to you all:) or as Ajeesh and now Kishore might say..Happy to say Yugadi to you all:):)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. So, woman, my answer makes you Happy? (6)

      Delete
    3. Her Ok, is custom-made for you Incognito:)

      Delete
    4. Ars magna* - great art of anagrams!

      Delete
  26. What a play of words in this arena!

    ReplyDelete
  27. List updated
    1 Deepak
    2 Padmanabhan
    3 Prashanth Sai
    4 Raghunath
    5 Ajeesh
    6 Lakshmi Vaidyanathan
    7 Kishore
    8 Bhavan
    9 Sowmya
    10 Vasant
    11 Richard
    12 Ramesh
    13 Ram (ARS)
    14 Vijay who signs in as VJ
    15 Shrikanth
    16 Mohsin
    17 Raju U

    Requests for enlisting will close at 7 a.m. tomorrow

    ReplyDelete

  28. 4 Newly-wed, cross, pushed first girl to end of chamber (10) BRIDEGROOM (BRID(-G)E(+G) ROOM)

    When "G" is moved to end of 'chamber'(room), can we place it before ROOM also pl ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cross=bridge
      Pushed first girl to end= shifted g to end= brideg
      Chamber =room
      Newly wed=defn

      Delete
    2. Well, I could get whatever you explained, from the Anno itself but my interpretation was 'when G is shifted to end of ROOM, should it not appear at the end of ROOM(G)?
      Of course, in which case, the answer can't be found !

      Delete
    3. ...perhaps I should read it as 'shifted to end', keeping in mind only 'bridge' and not as 'shifted to end of chamber'.

      Delete
    4. Itna bhi door mat jaao ke paas ana mushkil ho!

      Delete
  29. A VERY HAPPY UGAADI TO YE-ALL !! may we-all keep playing JUGADI with words for all the time to come !!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Came across this wonderful one Plz solve this:
    It's Varnasi sin to give birth to a dictator (10)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I SEE , ICCI, BCCI, !! Srinivasan !! Chi Chi to all dictators and those pyare with their kursi !!

      Delete
    2. Textrous had aptly said..After all, "India Cements" anagrams to "Need scam in it"

      Delete
    3. That is a cognate anagram!

      Delete
    4. Textrous has a field day in Twitter. :)

      Delete
  31. UGADI SHUBAKANSHULU , as we say in Telugu.

    I have a clarification. Two words or single words are interchangeably used by setters. Today 1 - A & 16 - A confused me. Can anyone explain, if it is O.K?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. To answer your question, they cannot be used interchangeably at will. It has to be permitted in the language. Trailblazer is a single word as far as I know. Terracotta can be a single word or two. Both are permitted by OED

      Delete
  32. @Richard & Kishore: I couldn't respond to you'll in the morning thanks to a powercut - the woes of summer have begun :(
    I enjoy solving crosswords, not too keen on framing clues. Maybe I'll join in some time later.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dash it! What a disappointment! The power cut I mean ;-)

      On the other hand, I have some hopes. "Some time" can be quite short and is not never ever ...

      I will check back with you after .... say 5 minutes ?

      Delete
    2. You are right. I will check every 5 minutes and you can check in the other 4 minutes. Thanks for your help

      Delete
    3. Shall we float an online petition?

      Delete
    4. IMO Kishore's idea sounds good ! It's only upto 7:00 AM tomorrow !!

      Delete
  33. We have time till 7 AM tomorrow. Man lives in hopes.
    Good clue solver may be (has to be?) a good clue writer. True or false?

    ReplyDelete
  34. We are on 18...going on 19, past a century!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Kishore @ 11:05 : RL, another convert embraces our thin king ...

    Space is white, not black!


    ????

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. White space between last two words is to be ignored

      Delete
  36. OMG! You guys really know how to encourage a person! :P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Go, Sandy, go, if you have not gone up to now. I am sure the 7am deadline is IST.

      Delete

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