Thursday, January 20, 2005

The Hindu Crossword 8195 Solutions - by Vinod & Rajagopal

Across
1 Tender in a neat occupation (9) CATTLEMAN (Cryptic Defn. -> Tender=one who tends, neat=cow/cattle)
6 Mother has to win chess game by taking rook (5) MATER (to win chess game=MATE, rook=R =>to win chess game by taking rook = MATE+R)
9 Misleading by remaining still (5) LYING (Double Defn.)
10 Mention DA prepared to be put up for office (9) NOMINATED (ana. MENTION+DA)
11 English writer who added weight to Deva (10) CHESTERTON (weight=TON, Deva=CHESTER??)
12 Read about beloved French backward artist (4) DEAR (Triple way clue -> Read about=ana. READ=DEAR, beloved=DEAR, French=DE, backward artist=reversed RA=AR=>DE+AR; French is not DE, 'of French' or 'for French' is DE, I don't understand why some compilers make this assumption that just French should mean LE/LA/DE/UN)
14 Comments on soldiers' impressions (7) REMARKS (soldiers=RE, impressions=MARKS => RE+MARKS)
15 Spanish wine one may find at a look out post (7) SANGRIA (??)
17 Foolishly pants to editor after a period of five days (7) PENTADS (ana. PANTS+ED(editor))
19 I leave petitioner calling earnestly (7) CLAMANT (petitionaer=CLAIMANT=>I leave petitioner = CLAIMANT-I)
20 I translate into Greek (4) IOTA (the greek letter i)
22 Gaunt American lawyer in cave has a sour disposition (10) CADAVEROUS (American lawyer=DA, cave=CAVE, sour disposition=ana. SOUR=SOUR=>American lawyer in cave has a sour disposition = CA(DA)VE+ROUS)
25 Like list to include really good aggressive guy (9) ASSAILANT (Like=AS, list=SLANT, really good=AI=>Like list to include really good=AS+S(AI)LANT)
26 The pick of the group (5) ELITE (Direct)
27 Stand up before the court, in short (5) ERECT (before=ERE, court in short=CT => ERE+CT)
28 Device for finding precious stone under layers of earth (9) STRATAGEM (precious stone=GEM, layers of earth=STRATA=>precious stone under layers of earth=STRATA+GEM)

Down
1 Suffering from depression I note (5) COLIC (depression=COL, I=I, note=C => COL+I+C)
2 He belongs to a division of the ancient Roman people (9) TRIBESMAN (Direct)
3 Successful slimmer working on a flat bottom (10) LIGHTERMAN (Double Defn. ->1. Successful slimmer=LIGHTER MAN 2. a flat bottom is a kind of boat, a person working on such a boat is a lighterman)
4 Vedic psalms elevating arts in support of humanity (7) MANTRAS (elevating arts=ana. ARTS=TRAS, humanity=MAN=>elevating arts in support of humanity = MAN+TRAS)
5 They may be Germany's minors, but are great hunters (7) NIMRODS (ana. D(Germany)+ MINORS -- BAD CLUE)
6 No matter — just take care! (4) MIND (Double Defn.)
7 Let it be put in place of a name (5) TITLE (let it be put in place=ana. LET+IT)
8 A flier must take a stand about crumbly bread (9) REDBREAST (stand=REST, crumbly bread=DBREA=>take a stand about crumbly bread=RE(DBREA)ST)
13 A passage of arms for a linking of arms (10) ENGAGEMENT (Double Defn.)
14 Make a copy of plate Eric smashed (9) REPLICATE (ana. PLATE+ERIC)
16 Thought to phone about one point a boy made (9) REASONING (phone=RING, one point=E, a=A, boy=SON=> R(E+A+SON)ING)
18 Jack has sores all round, shaped in the form of beetles (7) SCARABS (sores=SCARS, Jack=AB=>Jack has sores all round=SCAR(AB)S)
19 Chart made to record a person's life (7) CHAPTER (ana. CHART+EP(record))
21 Faculty to perceive the elegant (5) TASTE (Double Defn.)
23 Its power can be used to move (5) STEAM (Direct)
24 Brand new stamp? (4) MINT (Double Def. - 1. Brand new 2. stamp(v.))

5 comments

Chaturvasi said...

19 Chart made to record a person's life (7) CHAPTER (ana. CHART+EP(record))

This illustrates lack of order in wordplay.
Chart made - Assuming that 'made' is an acceptable anagram indicator, this could give an anagram.
to - connector
record - EP
The answer can only be an anagram of 'chart' + EP.
The anagram letters "chart" and EP are scattered, with the anagram signal 'made' tucked between them.
It is such clues that make me say that there is no proper word order in some clue writing.
Besides, "a person's life" does not seem to be too apt a definition for "chapter".

Chaturvasi said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Chaturvasi said...

12 Read about beloved French backward artist (4) DEAR (Triple way clue -> Read about=ana. READ=DEAR, beloved=DEAR, French=DE, backward artist=reversed RA=AR=>DE+AR; French is not DE, 'of French' or 'for French' is DE, I don't understand why some compilers make this assumption that just French should mean LE/LA/DE/UN)
Is it triple or double?
I would think it is double.
In any case I haven't come across such a clue and it is difficult for me to classify it.
Of course there are double definition clues and sometimes triple or even quadruple definition clues.
But this is different.
Read about beloved / French backward artist
Read about beloved: Idiomatically it should be "Read about the beloved" (Anag. of 'read' gives 'dear', 'about' being the hackeneyed anagrind.
In the second part "French backward artist' is wordplay (DE=AR(rev. of RA). But what is the defn? It is 'beloved' from the first part. So actually there are not even two distinct clues here.
I entirely agree with you that just "French" won't do for "de". There must be precise indication to an article or preposition.

Chaturvasi said...

(G.K) Chesterton is a well-known essayist and also a short story writer famous for Father Brown detective stories.
At the moment I too don't know how "Chester" is derived from "Deva".

Chaturvasi said...

17 Foolishly pants to editor after a period of five days (7) PENTADS (ana. PANTS+ED(editor))
'Pentad' is a group of five. When "pentads" is the answer, shouldn't the def. be "periods of five days"?
Also, "foolishly pants to ed" can only give an anagram of 'pants' plus ed. "to" is an intrusion in the anagram fodder.