Many thanks for all the queries about whether someone had finally done the right thing and hit the site admin with a hatchet. Unfortunately the answer is no. It appears that cryptic crossword compilers are considered geeks and we as a class take a long, long time to score.

Meanwhile we also took part in the iGate inter-corporate Scrabble tournament and won. We received the trophy from Nigel Richards.

You can find the online-solvable version of this grid here. Happy solving.

Across – Diogenes

1 Praise a group taking the baton freely (1,3,2,3,4)
9 Computers 101 follows introductions to all basic algorithms (5)
10 Love to wear soft leather shoes heading out to special events (9)
11 Overdo one’s part – bump out of bed around the morning (3,2,2)
12 Free of guilt, criminal loves to follow a bishop (7)
13 Act of affection left out after small passing shower (8)
15 Extremely disappointed to be rejected drinks (5)
17 Weird, almost faulty step (5)
19 Captors hold them close to themselves in torrid times (8)
22 Start to chastise a very reluctant bank worker (7)
23 You send a message across the street to steal the spotlight (7)
25 Trial account? (4,2,3)
26 A pint rum is not appropriate (5)
27 Shimmying hot wet lass, she hogs the limelight (6,3,4)

Down – Cryptonyte

1 Not caring about a road fork (6)
2 It beeps when encountering a metal weapon (5)
3 Left out a dry person in upcoming presentation (7)
4 Army recall the time the destitute were uplifted before recession (5,10)
5 Apprentice in a trade? (8,7)
6 Agassi’s missed silver returning hollow tosses and serves (7)
7 Learning wok legend’s cooking (9)
8 Libel according to terms in legalese (7)
14 Slips as sails come undone (9)
16 Cloths for illusions to change king to a book (7)
18 Fat for soap die preparation (7)
20 Australia’s Ponting’s first one to have century against England, a sign of things to come? (7)
21 Grant overcome by painful expression(6)
24 Key West remains flooded (5)

Social message this Diwali – Do not endorse products exploiting child labour.  To show our support to this cause, Cryptonyte – who is still very much a child in terms of clueing experience, has not contributed anything to this puzzle.

Happy Diwali to all you crackers

Interactive version available here

ACROSS – Diogenes

1) Difficult to imitate a printer’s handiwork? (4,4)
5) Score falling short by eight dozen (6)
10) One used to give a sound hiding? (7)
11) Reporter coming in or going out of crack house (7)
12) Bill Clinton nearly turned in an improvised performance (2,3)
13) What a singer might be at the end of a performance? Discordant (3,2,4)
14) Tenable cash spelt out around the end of tenure? (7,5)
18) What’s applicable to all colleges admitting a student (12)
21) Slippery one pocketing 90, loaned capital (9)
23) Lincoln had nothing against Democrat in house (5)
24) Published material not beginning to appear in general examination (4-3)
25) View round the wing of a bird (7)
26) Screw up, lacking confidence to go outside for a drink(6)
27)They may ruin masts at sea right away (8)

DOWN – Diogenes

1) Henry’s manly rendering of an anthem (6)
2) Trouble-maker not close to upending a lottery (6)
3) Party bachelorette lacking hot moves (9)
4) Play tapes or reels on this (8,6)
6) Husband hugged by spouse mostly has female smell (5)
7) Enticed to consume drug, one’s out of action (8)
8 ) They possibly go around part of a golf course chasing Asian canines (3-5)
9) Jerky leg actions suit animated hand movements (14)
15) Employment status (9)
16) Broad-spectrum drugs? (4-4)
17) Daughter is about to miss show (8)
19) On which a speaker may be starting to preach hatred (6)
20) A game played in nets (6)
22) Dare soldiers to hold up failure (5)

TIB #17 seems to have been a toughie. We received brickbats and curses from all over. The pick of the lot came from Aruna -

A: Have you been under the weather lately?
TIB: No why?
A: Because I’ve been cursing you since last Sunday for a devilishly difficult TIB #17.

Hopefully this time’s TIB is a little easier Please leave your comments.

Interactive version available here.

Across - Cryptonyte

1) Prime suspect to stall policeman (5,9)
10) Tie up crook and apprentice in prison (5)
11) Weaker Tendulkar perhaps missing out on ton needing just one (9)
12) Model’s endowed with gold for the picture (7)
13) Is famished terribly, fed this dish (7)
14) Reportedly searches for religious followers (5)
16) Hold on tight allowing to tear softly, it’s debilitating (9)
19) On which one would lie down and stretch? (9)
20) A clown upturned eggs laid on grass (5)
22) Looking back, the representative in Rome was a King (7)
25) Candy causing tissue in the mouth to degenerate (7)
27) Tissue and bone a vampire’s heading out to eat live (9)
28) Mother’s cooked nan – heavenly food (5)
29) It was said earlier that accomplished supervisors got in without getting caught (14)

Down – Diogenes

2) Unprepared footballer caught missing at Euro award’s final (4-5)
3) Dog lets go of black bird (5)
4) Body left in church cell (9)
5) Cuts flesh up around cadaver’s head (5)
6) Reluctant to accept work following the love for spiritual study (9)
7) Something to eat for student to fit into two-piece, having lost one kilo (5)
8 ) Delinquent pocketing a piece of jewellery (7)
9) An entrance with small stones (6)
15) Spooner’s whooper scene to follow shortly (9)
17) Fiery rum and gin in bar (9)
18) In conclusion, getting hot for female is a natural quality (9)
19) Stock price rising in a bet gone wrong (4,3)
21) One with a nest broken has no parent (6)
23) Upright, religious and short on love (5)
24) Repeated memorization required to cover university course (5)
26) Step mother, man and old boy showed up (5)

We all know there are two ways of saying the same thing – some people see a glass half-full and some others see it half-empty (and as the SMS joke goes, the engineer says the glass is twice as big as it should be.) Similarly there are two ways of indicating an anagram with extra letters.

1) DULL – Deletion of Unwanted/Leftover Letters

Solvers would have encountered many clues of this type which say “A – B = C” or “Anagram Indicator + Fodder – Extra Letters = Definition “
This clue from Diogenes for instance -

Disarmament collapsed in the absence of a strategist (10)
Highlight this line to see the solution : Disarmament* – a = Mastermind

2) FRESH – Fodder = Result + Extra/ Superfluous Humbug

Any sensible human (other than Cryptonyte) refers to this kind of clue as a Composite Anagram. Here the setter is telling the solver, Extra letters together with the answer will give the fodder anagrammed – “A = B +C”. This kind of clue is uncommon but a regular feature in advanced cryptic crossword. We have a typical example in Azed 1937. Clue 9 Down reads

Ah, this valve has transformed the radio (6)
Highlight this line to see the solution : Ah + triode = (the radio)*, &lit, Answer = Triode

Some more examples and explanation of the Composite Anagram can be found here. Will TIB #18 contain a composite anagram clue? There’s only one way to find out – Hack into our online doc (and when you find it blank, it would be great if you could make Cryptonyte’s share of clues.)

Cheers!

Online version here.

Across -Cryptonyte

1)  The banks were corrupt to take money, says the story (6,3,4)
9)  On air, retracted passages (5)
10) Incredible fluke, winning championship (ousting number one) and all that the pot holds (9)
11) Is old king backing a foreigner? (7)
12) Prescription that could give a guitarist withdrawal symptoms? (7)
13) Wolves toy with kids (8)
15) Sees model being taken away, expresses disappointment (5)
17) Lies on and on to get money, sparing nothing (5)
19) Bleeding is a general feature at the start of gunfights (8)
22) Composition to act out in California (7)
23) One gives credit to the author perhaps (7)
25) Captain Planet perhaps salvaged our sphere (9)
26) One admitting to swinging both ways goes to poetic lengths (5)
27) Dejected kid, he resorts to rope towards the end (4,2,3,4)

Down – Diogenes

1)  Country gecko losing tail, when turning up to chase the bee (6)
2)  King finding gold under the queen’s slip! (5)
3)  Jack’s line is monkey business (7)
4)  Last offer to carry one to relative abroad (4,2,2,5,2)
5)  Express grief at the aeronauts’ crashing around Ohio after entry to earth (3,4,5,3)
6)  Registers new records after topping in equestrian (7)
7)  See assistant’s right to vote cut off by a knight (9)
8)  Mark, from Flanders, heading out for Belgium’s capital (7)
14) Boy having a rum punch that might give him a kick-start (9)
16) An initiation befitting one’s held in the outskirts of Buckhingham (7)
18) Bird fight to follow boxing match (7)
20) Why I rambled about a local currency getting out of hand (7)
21) One gives credit to an article (6)
24) Say a flipper one edges (5)

Solutions to TIB #16

Online version available here

Across - Diogenes

1) Performers of music or revolutionary arts maybe (9)
6) Kid’s magazine (5)
9) Toils to win power for those with special skills (7)
10) Runs away from sweets, reportedly (7)
11) Annoyed to lose the pound gained (6)
12) Extraordinary lyrist held court paying close attention to detail (8)
14) A strong draft beer taken after a drop of gin (4)
15) Naughtily ogle at her when model’s caught in the __________ ? (10)
18) Deserter returned to embrace a ruling coalition with three sides (10)
20) Road work sign (4)
23) Financially rewarding study award I got in London district (8)
24) Having even less money, put zero deposit in advertising (6)
26) Winning card (Hearts) getting one to victory (7)
27) Cases, for instance, involving glue suffocation indoors (7)
28) Severe cold hasn’t begun (5)
29) No good to get terribly aroused about involving a risk (9)

Down-  Cryptonyte

1) Suddenly finished? About time! (9)
2) Fine money (7)
3) Devout holy man is missing, daughter realised (6)
4) Cast away on ship (4)
5) I.Bishop comes back in – logical, no run conceded extra (10)
6) Pyridines (without Yttrium) violently fired (8)
7) Mark’s having no handicap (7)
8 ) Dress a young one has to try (5)
13) Grew vigorously, fire should be put out (10)
16) Press agent to remodel resort (9)
17) Expert playing well, Joyce perhaps (8)
19)  Evening. Yours truly’s right on the circuit. Unit of force India, Giancarlo’s first (7)
21)A storm to the navy’s a burst of frenzied activity (7)
22) Fever checked at the start, first tip of thermometer’s in contact with this body part (6)
23) Go into specialist doctor’s emergency room (5)
25) Drop of lemongrass in utensil to cook something up (4)

Online version available here

Across - Cryptonyte
1 Beckham for one also hit goal, terribly unequal match (5,3,7)
9 Sings in improvised notes (7)
10 A moment in agony in between (7)
11 Gulf – one third of Malayalees in profit (5)
12 A key to the dickey? (9)
13 Directive for graphical user interface – noise’s good (7)
16 Humpty Dumpty’s act? Ruler failed to end the confusion (7)
17 Influences a mischief-maker’s deeds (7)
19 Passionate cricket match – most popular (7)
20 Do elegant gymnastics appear stretched? (9)
21 Black marketing book caught (5)
23 Skipper gains nothing leaving out a legend (7)
24 India has information for all to see on LeT’s core player (7)
25 Right now, Tottenham’s best player is unprepared? (4,2,3,6)

Down – Diogenes

1  Physician’s mobile clinics given e-permits to operate on the road (7,8)
2  Essential drop of tincture in the container (5)
3  Refrain from eating the last morsel of tofu cake (5)
4  Horse getting endlessly obese, possibly eating from this? (7)
5  Skims through flicks (7)
6  Eye small take away from model – could this be what stylish people do? (4,5)
7  Silver vault breached by a shirt needle (9)
8  What comes before I belittle? We both turn to make personal remarks (3,5,3,4)
14 I respect preparedness and you are unprepared! (9)
15 Secretly break up citing no love (9)
18 A cloth tent when erected, catches the eye (7)
19 Chemical treated dry skin appearing outside (7)
21 What marks a refrain in song, especially upon reflection (5)
22 Begin drunken revelry (5)

Online version available here.

Across – Diogenes

9)  In retrospect, the leader’s profit is a worry (7)
10) Some judges so ignore the excuse for not showing up in court  (7)
11) Show English side taking heart at small performance (7)
12) Do an impression of friend eating that thing after lunch time (7)
13) Not allowed entry to frightening dark cave, when many went missing (9)
15) Tender at heart, one rues getting injured (5)
16) Steps to protect article in French chateaus, say (7)
19) Step out after river becomes most difficult to fathom (7)
20) Rome oddly follows in the manner of Parisian panic (5)
21) A standard shelter with many quarters (9)
25) Told heartlessly about fish caught in a net (7)
26) Alumnus to give notice (7)
28) Expert on standing in for a beast (7)
29) Also not new to having the knot rejected by that woman (7)

Down – Cryptonyte

1) One’s cross with brownie point given for that thing alone (6)
2) The emcee’s a damper (6)
3) Maybe leg stump is all that is all that’s left when it is removed (4)
4) Joined club in Manchester? (6)
5) Made agreement in contract (8)
6) Assistant officer with new soldiers roped in for task (10)
7) Conflict in terrible economy initially in slump (8)
8 ) Concern for principal’s appreciation at the end of the term (8)
14) Unfinished business in America – Ohio temple construction (10)
16) The duration of the drama when it’s fun? (8)
17) School of fish caught, pull in (8)
18) Dad’s rant about what is acceptable (8)
22) Measure relative molecular mass oxygen’s got (6)
23) Planets are furnaces when the crust is removed (6)
24) He’s been abducted by a politician? It’s a possibility (6)
27) Pills downed neglecting what’s at the end of medical note (4)

Solutions to TIB #13 – Friday The Thirteenth

The Cunning Linguist

There are two sets of words – set (1) and set (2). The five letter word in set (1) is obtained by adding one letter to the four letter word from set (1) and anagramming it. (Similarly the five letter word in set (2) is obtained by adding one letter to the four letter word from set (2) and anagramming it.)

Proceed to finally get a ten letter word from set (1) and a nine letter word from set (2)

Find an(other) anagram of the ten letter word and the nine letter word to get a phrase which is analogous to Worldly Pleasure (hint : evil temptation).

Ten points per blank. Twenty points for filling fully. Thirty points for the phrase.

I hate doggies!

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. I beg to differ. If one _ _ _ _ _ _ _₍₂₎ the imbecilic things they do, they are nothing more than huge pains in places you don’t want to mention. For one, they make too much _ _ _ _ _ ₍₁₎ at the mere sight of anything strange. Even more irritating is their tendency to meddle with your wardrobe for no apparent reason when they are irritated! Nothing is spared – not your shoes, nor your trousers, shirts, _ _ _ _ ₍₂₎ – not even your underwear! Just last week I had to throw away my new Nike shoes because my stupid dog ripped out the _ _ _ _ _ _ ₍₁₎

My friend Arsene Wenger thinks dogs are worked up when they have too many fleas on them. He _ _ _ _ _ ₍₂₎ the example of the noodle incident. (Of course I’m not allowed to talk about that, you can ask Mr.Watterson yourself if you like.) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ₍₁₎ my dog became top priority upon hearing this. I soon discovered that it was no mean feat. It is not like there are just one or two fleas – the _ _ _ _ _ _ ₍₂₎ multiplies and forms _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ₍₁₎ of fleas and most of them are war-trained. Finally upon Arsene’s advice, I _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ₍₂₎ my dog clean using a vacuum cleaner. It didn’t help one bit! Arsene is a jackass!

People claim that it is fun to walk a dog. Well it’s not! The stupid creatures move in a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _₍₁₎ manner. It is almost as if they read De Bono’s Lateral Thinking books! And of course they chase anything and everything and they run like mad. Believe me when I tell you this – I once had to chase my dog across two _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _₍₂₎ ! The _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ₍₁₎ indicated that we were in a different time zone altogether! That’s how much we had run. I haven’t given my dog a walk in _ _ _ _₍₁₎ . Hmmm may be I should! Doggy!!! Where are you??

Online version available here.

Across – Diogenes

1  Bare ballet he danced in turns (5,3,5)
9  Saw 10:10 in the morning (5)
10 Great deal of air strike on a show of excessive action (9)
11 Name the organic gas (7)
12 Dressed oneself before quarter final outside (7)
13 Is a round in order for one that’s old and bulky? (8)
15 Grave of Pasternak (5)
17 Dictionary’s first mistake missing from corrigendum information (5)
19 Many a good shape one’s lost to stupidity (8)
22 Ends tenure, eyes name in the centre (7)
23 Music makers with pluck? (7)
25 Spooner’s chief collector – one gets lots of new business (9)
26 Dismissed point not entirely best (5)
27 Victory lap for a group of achievers? (7,6)

Down – Cryptonyte

1 Cramps both sides of muscles at health clubs (6)
2 One goes to a party with a tee shirt – a fool (5)
3 Lug endlessly, go to the doctor with back pain (7)
4 Lick and stimulate model going for sensationalism at first – a symbol in red street? (6,3,6)
5 Guesses players on the field? (8,7)
6 Nowadays clothes do the talking (7)
7 Bare essentials without a bit of extravagance for virgin (9)
8 A diner’s cooked this? (7)
14 Put away sentiment when questioning (9)
16 They may screen movies (7)
18 Would his study be a correspondence course? (7)
20 Scot backs Reserve Bank of India (though it has nothing) for capital (7)
21 Mineral residue found first on land (6)
24 Joke is an irritation (5)

Solutions to TIB#12