Monday, January 10, 2005

The Hindu Crossword 8187 Solutions - by Vinod & Rajagopal

Across
1 Nether wallop? (4,2,3,5) KICK IN THE PANTS (Direct => Nether=PANTS, wallop=KICK)
9 Fliers could badly hit the old ship (8) _I_L_R_S
10 Chap to leave tropical fruit (5) MANGO (Chap=MAN, to leave=GO => MAN+GO)
12 Neat cooker broiling most spectacularly (4) ETNA (ana. NEAT)
13 Stagger about quietly and drive off (5) REPEL (Stagger=REEL, quietly=P=>Stagger about quietly = REPEL)
14 Conceive to invent change (4) COIN (Double Defn.)
17 Admit into closed society (8) INITIATE (Direct)
18 Colourless part of blood (6) PLASMA (Direct)
20 Fine commotion about way to make tea (6) INFUSE?? (Fine commotion=ana. FINE=INFE, way=US??=>Fine commotion about way=INF(US)E; To infuse=To steep or soak without boiling in order to extract soluble elements or active principles..dictionary.com)
22 Tributary stream flowing in (8) INFLUENT (Double Defn.)
25 Two firms combine over a nourishing drink (4) COCO (firm=CO)
26 Empty room? (5) SPACE (Double Defn.)
27 Short note sent to me with love (4) MEMO (me=ME, love=O; where do we get the extra M from?)
30 A simple vine (5) NAIVE (ana. A+VINE; where is the anagram indicator?)
31 Touching off to flame up (8) IGNITING (Direct)
32 Chessman unlikely to mate? (6,8) KNIGHT BACHELOR (Cryptic Defn.)

Down
2 I burst into song before I drink in Tuscany (7) CHIANTI (I=I, song=CHANT=>I burst into song=CHIANT=>I burst into song before I=CHIANT+I)
3 Fifty-fifty is about the basis of our troubles (4) ILLS (Fifty-fifty=LL, is=IS=>Fifty-fifty is about=I(LL)S)
4 Rushing streams from rocky heights tore asunder with force (8) TORRENTS (rocky heights=TORS, tore asunder=RENT=>rocky heights tore asunder with force=ana. TORE+RENT)
5 Oriental flower festival for Christians (6) EASTER (Oriental=E, flower=ASTER => E+ASTER)
6 Weapons for inflicting bodily harm (4) ARMS (Direct)
7 Sent you both with nothing to become thin and uncertain (7) TENUOUS (ana. SENT+UU(you both)+O(nothing))
8 All together now! "Knees bend!" (5,6) JOINT ACTION (Cryptic Defn.=>knee=joint)
11 Resent being reminded of little past experience (11) REMINISCENT??
15 Happy state after a few drinks (5) TIPSY (Direct)
16 Cunningly practising secrecy (5) SLYLY (Double Defn.)
19 Biggest twister to have a crush on one? (8) ANACONDA (Cryptic Defn. => twister=snake, have a crush on one=ref. to the manner in which an anaconda kills its victim by crushing)
21 Invented narrative but not stranger than truth (7) FICTION (Double Defn. => ref. to the adage "Truth is stranger than fiction")
23 Without beginning or end (7) ETERNAL (Direct)
24 Take a few steps at topmost speed (6) SPRINT (Direct)
28 Large mass of ice (4) BERG (Direct)
29 Sign of impetigo the cutis having yellowed (4) ITCH (Direct)

1 comments

Chaturvasi said...

Re
9 Fliers could badly hit the old ship (8) _I_L_R_S
I think the answer is TITLARKS (fliers, birds)
There is a typo in the clue. Should read "Fliers could badly tilt the old ship"
In which case TITL (anag. of 'tilt', badly being the anagrind) and ARKS gives the suggested answer. 'Ark' is an old ship. So the compiler still leaves S unaccounted for.