Wednesday, December 22, 2004

The Hindu Crossword 8171 Solutions - by Vinod & Rajagopal

Across
1 Rook accomplished attack (10) OVERCHARGE (accomplished=OVER, attack=CHARGE)
6 Cry given on sighting a whale (4) WAIL (Homonym of whale, though I don't see a satisfactory homonym indicator)
9 Go round a wizard place with a philosopher (7) SPINOZA (Go round=SPIN, wizard place=OZ, a=A => SPIN+OZ+A)
10 Quit post when five acted against one in trouble (7) VACATED (ana. V(five)+ACTED+A(one))
12 I had to suffer a setback with strain and misery (8) DISTRESS (I had=I'd=ID => I had to suffer a setback=DI, strain=STRESS => DI+STRESS)
13 Wax method in producing designs on cloth (5) BATIK (Direct)
15 Exposes nothing on his writings (5) OPENS (nothing=O, writings=PENS => O+PENS)
17 Made claim as per one's known experience (9) EMPIRICAL (ana. CLAIM+PER+I(one's))
19 The belittler of French farm machinery (9) DETRACTOR (of French=DE, farm machinery=TRACTOR => DE+TRACTOR)
21 Art of the French developed to deal in commerce (5) TRADE (ana. ART+DE(the French))
23 The French tax affected those we place in high position (5) EXALT (ana. LE(the French)+TAX)
24 A boisterous frolic starts with an E African salutation (8) JAMBOREE (Jambo means Hello in Swahili)
27 Pat takes a bird as a design model (7) PATTERN (Pat=PAT, a bird=TERN => PAT+TERN)
28 Brought up the information to the latest (7) UPDATED (Direct)
29 Closes up the last points (4) ENDS (Double Defn.)
30 Who cares, for example, about such a question? (10) RHETORICAL (Direct=>Cryptic defn.)

Down
1 It's somewhat marvellous to eject the mafia don (4) OUST (Container => marvellOUS To, though the mafia don part is absolutely redundant)
2 Dreadful, if I cede large building (7) EDIFICE (ana. IF I CEDE)
3 The cult has no unusual influence to exercise (5) CLOUT (ana. CULT+O(no))
4 Arrangement made at base, meant to humble (9) ABASEMENT (ana. BASE MEANT)
5 Yields to pressure (5) GIVES (Direct)
7 Make a cat sit in an unstable position (7) ASTATIC (Ana. A CAT SIT)
8 An Amazon perhaps, could resist his advances (4,6) LADY KILLER (Double Defn.)
11 Show Tom with his middle unclad (7) CABARET (Tom=CAT, unclad=BARE => Tom with his middle unclad=CA(BARE)T)
14 They don't offend the fairies (4,6) GOOD PEOPLE (Direct)
16 Treats possibly about fifty for shock (7) STARTLE (ana. TREATS+L(fifty))
18 Standard quality of the greatest significance (9) PARAMOUNT (Direct)
20 Carried outside as it was to be drunk to someone's health (7) TOASTED (Carried=TOTED, as=AS => Carried outside as = TO(AS)TED)
22 Pies cat upset are not likely to go bad (7) ASEPTIC (ana. PIES CAT)
24 He is bad luck to be on board ship (5) JONAH (Direct=>ref. to the Bible)
25 A suitable arrangement made on command (5) ORDER (Double defn.)
26 Object of admiration (4) IDOL (Direct)

1 comments

Chaturvasi said...

18 Standard quality of the greatest significance (9) PARAMOUNT (Direct)
If as you say it is a direct clue, the answer must be 'paramountcy' (n.)
If we take "standard quality" as a subsidiary indication and "of the greatest significance" as the definition, then it must be "standard quantity" (par plus amount).
Anyway it is an ill-written clue.
You have rightly pointed to some flaws in other clues.