Prize Puzzle: Hindi Crossword 7

Holi is round the corner - and we are back with our customary Holi special crossword in Hindi. Kishore and I took upon ourselves a fun setting challenge for this puzzle: all clues as couplets. We had experimented with this format in puzzle 4 and enjoyed the exercise very much. This outing proved to be harder: a few recalcitrant grid fills would not lend themselves to couplet clueing. We realised as we neared the end that we had, quite literally, painted ourselves into a corner. Kishore, with his usual resourcefulness, reassembled portions of the grid and redid the clues. We honed the wordplay over several iterations and finally, here we are, ready with our latest offering.

There is a notable departure from our usual mode of accepting submissions for prize puzzles. The general feedback has been that asking for annotations deters many solvers from sending in their entries. This time, we let annotations be optional. Send them in if you like - we love to hear how you arrived at the answer - but we won't insist upon annotations for considering your puzzle eligible for the draw. This also means that your grid fill must be precise - no misplaced dots and dashes!

Hope you enjoy solving this crossword. Wish you a very happy and colourful Holi!

[Previous Hindi puzzles here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

आर-पार 1 थोड़ी मुश्किल है, थोड़ा झेलिये, और शब्द बताइये एक मेरे लिए (2) 2 आप और मैं अंग्रेज़ी भुगतते हैं, ये रेल या बस में साथ चलते हैं (5) 5 देसी खाने को जब सीने से ना लगाया तब आँखों ने क्या किया? (2) 7 गंभीर रॉय, शुरू से घोष के सर के पीछे पड़े (2) 8 ये हुआ तो शेष, कुछ हकलाया तो शिशु? (2) 10 लड़की यूँ हिली कि टहनी मिली (3) 12 गाय के सर पर तिनके का टुकड़ा पड़ा है, बूझो तो जाने कि उसकी रफ़्तार क्या है? (2) 13 सूजी नहीं! ये होना, मतलब चले जाना (3) 15 करुणा के लिए हाथ, कुछ ममता के साथ (3) 17 आपने तकल्लुफ़ बिन, शुरुआत में रखी संस्कृत लेकिन जब अंत का अवसर आया मुझे हरियाणवी से रंगा पाया (3) 20 बनके राजा इंदौर का, खोया हिस्सा लाहौर का (3) 22 मशहूर शायर अमरोही की कलाम बड़ी अनोखी (3) 23 नहीं नहीं, लगाना पड़ेगा मानद प्रत्यय जभी परिवार के वरिष्ठ सदस्य मिल गये (3) 25 एक आँख वाली निगले थोड़ी मिश्री ताकि वह बन सके एक सुंदर स्त्री (3) 27 बेवक़ूफ़ दफ्तरकर्मिंयों के मुखड़ों को आग लग जाएगी तब कहीं जाके वो साफ़ बन जाएगी (3) 28 सोने का पर्याय, जो उल्टा-सीधा बराबर नज़र आये (3) 30 बहस में उलझे कुछ अक्षर उनको रिहा कर या बर्दाश्त कर (2) 31 एक प्राणी का नाम तुम कहना जो कूदके बन सकता है वरना...(3) 33 सीता शायद ऐसी थी, धीरे धीरे बोलती थी, पंक्ति का पहला अक्षर लेती थी, और भोली भाली बनती थी (2) 35 मामी का एक हिस्सा और दादी का एक हिस्सा, दोनों असल मे क्या है, यही है किस्सा (2) 36 इसको पहनोगे आप यदि, तो दिखेगी एक छोटी नदी (2) 37 पहले-पहल मेजर हरिवंश राय बाहर निकलता, और बहुत दयालु दिखता (5) 38 कुछ मेघ नाकाम होते हैं, लेकिन वह ठोस होते हैं (2)

नीचे की ओर 1 मुंशीजी कुछ लफ्ज़ पहले जोड़ के दिखाओ, कली के लिए एक और शब्द बताओ (3) 2 प्रत्येक सरहद-वासी ऐंठा हुआ है वह राज़ छुपाए बैठा हुआ है (2) 3 संगीत के सुर सात ही, मगर सातों में बद्ध अवरोही (4) 4 अरबी की छाल फेंक दो, छिपा हुआ ख़ुदा देख लो (2) 6 ले कोठरी के भीतर रखना, फिर इसे निगल जाना (1,2) 7 जो उसकी जान तक ले जाए वर, बारातियों के बीच मिले वो जानवर (2) 9 समाचार में दिखे समान, यही है इस संख्या की पहचान (2) 11 जिसको खाने से बात का वजन बढ़ जाता है, उसका पेट काटने से कम हो जाता है! (3) 14 बहुत अच्छे! जब मिली पहली कमाई सामान ले जाने का साधन ले आई (3) 16 नसीरुद्दीन शाह की पत्नी को हाथ लगे बहुमूल्य हीरे जवाहरात के खान मिले (4) 17 तुरंत लाओ नाश्ते के पहले वाले निवाले तो तुमको एक अलग तरह का उपमा मिले (3) 18 "आज़ाद हिन्द फौज" के नायक बने अभिनेता जीतेन्द्र दिल से, कुछ हद तक (3) 19 "चलते चलते" तुम याद रखना, कभी यह लफ्ज़ ना कहना (4) 20 त्यौहार में होगा जिसका दहन, वो है प्रह्लाद के पिता की बहन (3) 21 गड़बड़ नीरज का किया, नाम निशा का दिया (3) 24 "गणना न कर" मानो याचना है म्हारी कल्पत किस्सों में अक्सर होती हूँ इच्छाधारी (3) 26 कुछ हद तक शामिल नहीं फिर भी यह संगम सही (3) 27 एक-एक चुटकी बेसन, हल्दी, तिल और राई के डालो, सब जुड़ जाएं तो अच्छा बना लो (4) 28 नैतिक वचनों में निमग्न हैं इस रक्षक के वर्ण जिसके प्रख्यात भेंटकर्ता हैं दानवीर कर्ण (3) 29 एक रस्सी के अंतिम हिस्से लो दोनो बांध के खिंची हुई कर दो (2) 31 11 जैसा ही एक और बार, ये आधे से कम स्वादानुसार (2) 32 चना जोर की चाट जो ना खाए, उसे सृष्टि कहकर बुलाया जाए (3) 34 गधी! मेले में कुछ ढूंढ ले जवाब पाओगी हौले हौले (2) 35 नाम को कर डाला रद्दी, फिर भी मिली प्रसिद्धि (2)

PDF format available here.

Notes On The Crossword

1. Word lengths are in syllables e.g. each of the words पहला, प्रथम, प्रदान, प्रस्थान will be enumerated as (3).
2. Complex consonants go into a single cell e.g. वर्ग will be split into two cells, the first with व, the second with र्ग. Similarly, प्रस्थान will be split into three cells, the first with प्र, the second with स्था, the third with न.
3. In wordplay, the matras may be treated independently of the letters e.g. राम when anagrammed can give मार or मरा.

Solving and Submission Instructions

1. Send in your completed entries to shuchi [at] crosswordunclued [dot] com, with the subject line "Hindi Cryptic Crossword 7 – Solution", latest by Sunday 8th March 2020.
2. Entries should be legible and readable in a standard text or image reader (Word, Excel, PNG, etc. all fine). You can hand-write the answers and send a scan if that works for you. Or you could use this solution template.
3. Solution words should be in Devanagari script. [Services like Google Input Tools or Quillpad can be used for typing in Hindi.]
4. Spot a theme? Tell us about it in words and mark the themed clue numbers with an asterisk (*).

If you have questions related to solution submission, please post them in the comments section.

The Prize

The winner can choose gift vouchers on Amazon IN/US/UK, worth INR 1000 (or equivalent in USD/GBP).

The solver with the maximum correct answers will win. In case of ties, the winner will be picked by a lucky draw.

The solution to the crossword and the winner's name will be announced in a follow-up post after 9th March 2020.

[Update (10th March 2020): Prize Puzzle: Hindi Crossword 7 - Solution and Winner]

Related Posts:

• Setting a Hindi Crossword: Lessons Learnt and Recommendations
• Why Hindi and cryptic crosswords do not mix
• Clue Challenge: Annotate these answers X1
• Kannada crosswords

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.

Prize Puzzle: Hindi Crossword 6

We’ve had a mad scramble to get our latest Hindi crossword puzzle out just in time for Holi. Happy Holi dear readers! Kishore (aka Incognito) and I present our sixth collaboration over Hindi cryptics [previous Hindi puzzles here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. This has been months in the making - we have had our debates about what is obscure and what is common knowledge, what needs ि and what needs ी, how to enumerate consonant conjuncts (more on this later) – and we have learned a thing or two in the process.

The finished puzzle now stands before you. Hope you have fun with it!

आर-पार 1  आवाज़ लगाई: "पुल के सामने वाले भाग पर अँग्रेज़ की गाड़ी है ! आ !" (3) 3  फिर ऊपर से (2) 4  पहुँच गए ? साये से सिर गायब है (2) 5  एक के पास 3 अंडे हैं | और 997 मिलने के बाद कितने हुए ? (3) 6   डमरू-दोलन का फल ? (4) 8  आभास ने लौटते हुए एक समारोह देखा (2) 10  सात पुश्तों से संयम-बद्ध संत-मुनि ये करें ? (2) 11  अम्मी, ठाकुर के पास कुछ स्वाद है (2) 14  काश! आ जाता पहले तो तुझे मिल पाता गगन (3) 16  साहिबा तसनीम की गुफ़्तगू (2) 17  कटनी (मध्य प्रदेश) में उगने वाला पेड़ (2) 19  शरीर का भाग जिसका पहला हिस्सा कम है और उसके बाद थोड़ा रमणीय है (3) 21  दक्षिण भारतीय व्यंजन बनाने की विधि (3) 22  ईद से पहले रस लो और यह दस्तावेज़ पाओ (3) 24  अनलकुण्ड में भी पानी का साधन है (2) 26  नमो-राहुल की गुटबंदी ने क़ैद कर रखी है ये चिड़िया  (2) 27  गरजता है अंदर से कि स्वर्ण से नीचे वाला पदक मिला (3) 29  बौद्ध सन्यासी होता है बिना माल के ही मालामाल (2) 31  वहाँ निवास किया जाए जहाँ का भेदी लंका ढाए (2) 33  दीन जब वापस आये, तो जल का प्रवाह पाए  (2) 35  हौसला लो, बम न फटेगा (4) 36  कह ले किसी भी तरह, पर धीरे से (3) 38  शुरू में चाय लेकर पैदल निकले (2) 39  आप और मैं मिल कर 32 का हिस्सा प्राप्त करेंगे (2) 40  आपने बिना तकल्लुफ़ के तुरंत मनमौजी नेवलों के सरों को पकड़ा (3) PDF format available here.

नीचे की ओर 1  इस पुल के टूटने पर प्रकट हुए नगर-रक्षक! (3) 2  राहुल का रास्ता (2) 3  मोहतरमा और तहज़ीब की शुरुआत ? (3) 4  जल्लाद मीर की अंदरूनी शख्सियत (3) 7  घड़ा जो मुंबई में जुए के लिए मशहूर है (3) 9  हिंदुस्तानी सात वार भी करे धुआँधार (5) 12  राष्ट्रकवि जमींदार भी हो सकता है (3) 13  बहुरानी के पास एक ऊँचे दर्जे का पत्ता है (2) 14  आग पहले से लगी है, मन में आ जाना (4) 15  शंका है तो शौक की मात्रा कम कर दो (2) 18  गुज़र मत हकलाते हुए ! ऐसा करने से बिगड़ी हुई चीज़े ठीक हो सकती है (4) 20  श्री कृष्ण जैसे दिल लुभानेवाले पूर्व प्रधान मंत्री (5) 22  बनारसी लालची के पास बहुत अर्क है (3) 23  बिरादरी की कीमत (2) 25  उलटी ताल में ये फ़नकारा बखूबी गायें? (2) 28  श्रीमान, उर्दू में बोलिए (3) 30   इंज़माम ले गया विकेट ! अब ढूँढो चर्चे के लिएअलग-अलग विषय (3) 32  बारह महीने का क्या भेद है, इसका मतलब समझे दया ! (3) 34  नदी के किनारे नाव को उल्टा कर दो, ए पागल (3) 37  उसके-तुम्हारे बीच में छुपा है राहु का साथी (2)

Notes On The Crossword

1. Word lengths are in syllables e.g. each of the words पहला, प्रथम, प्रदान, प्रस्थान will be enumerated as (3).
2. Complex consonants go into a single cell e.g. वर्ग will be split into two cells, the first with व, the second with र्ग. Similarly, प्रस्थान will be split into three cells, the first with प्र, the second with स्था, the third with न.
3. In wordplay, the matras may be treated independently of the letters e.g. राम when anagrammed can give मार or मरा.

Solving and Submission Instructions

1. Send in your completed entries to shuchi [at] crosswordunclued [dot] com, with the subject line "Hindi Cryptic Crossword 6 – Solution", latest by Friday 29th March 2019.
2. Entries should be legible and readable in a standard text or image reader (Word, Excel, PNG, etc. all fine). You can hand-write the answers with annotations, and send a scan if that works for you.
3. Solution words should be in Devanagari script. [Services like Google Input Tools can be used for typing in Hindi.]
4. Entries should contain annotations for the answers. Any annotation format is all right – words or symbols, Hindi or English – as long as how you arrived at the answer is clear. A couple of sample annotations for Hindi Puzzle#4 that work:
   

If you have questions related to solution submission, please post them in the comments section.

The Prize

The winner can choose gift vouchers on Amazon IN/US/UK, worth INR 1000 (or equivalent in USD/GBP).

The solver with the maximum correct answers, correctly annotated, will win. In case of ties, the winner will be picked by a lucky draw.

The solution to the crossword and the winner's name will be announced in a follow-up post after 29th March 2019. [Update: Hindi Crossword 6 – Solution and Winner]

--------------------
Edited: 4a for wordplay, 5a for spelling. Thanks @p1j, @hg6.
--------------------

Related Posts:

• How do you spell Ximenean in Hindi?
• Setting a Hindi Crossword: Lessons Learnt and Recommendations
• A crossword in Bahasa Indonesia

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.

Prize Puzzle: Hindi Crossword 5

It's Holi time, it's Hindi varg-paheli time. Take a stab - there is a prize to be won!

Kishore and I present to you our fifth Hindi cryptic crossword. After clueing in couplet form for the last Hindi puzzle, we go back to the classic concise clueing style. You might spot a theme or two in the grid. If you do, tell us.

Enjoy solving. Wish you good luck - and very Happy Holi.

आर-पार 1 जब दिन ढले, तब संत ध्यान लगाकर करते हैं तन का परित्याग (2) 2 कन्हैया थोड़ा सिर खाता है, पर परोपकारी है (4) 4 हर माह के शुरुआत में मूर्ती मिलेगी (3) 6 जल की धारा में 18 नीचे बह गये (2) 7 पत्थर के टुकड़ों से बनता है रास्ता (2) 8 ढंग से तब बना अमरीका अमन चाहने वाला (3) 9 रमता फिरता और जान देता (3) 11 हम एक नए ढंग से सूंघेंगे, तो शायद ये पाएंगे? (3) 13 दीवाना हुआ बादल, फिर गया (3) 15 जटायु के उलझे हुए बाल (2) 16 तुर्की में कोई स्वर नहीं, यह क्या बहस है (2) 17 पर्दानशीं-अंदाज़ में पेश हो चंदा (2) 18 दीपक हृदय-प्रत्यारोपण के बाद हानिकारक जंतु बन गया (3) 20 सेवक, वापस आ! बिन आभूषण के (2) 21 परिचय का सवाल है (2) 22 'सेर' की लिखाई ठीक करो! होना चाहिए 'शेर' (3) 24 ज़ख्म मिला वाघा में वापस जाके (2) 25 खो-खो के सन्दर्भ में घिसा-पिटा लेख (2) 26 रजनी और रति, बिना टोपी के? (2) 27 हर वन में नर पूजा (3) 29 इस अंक को आईने में देखो - दुगना दिखेगा! (3) 31 सीधा 36 गोद लेकर पैदा करता है बदनामी का कारण? (3) 33 ये कहो, तो चुप हो जाओगे (2,1) 35 थोड़ा जलवा क्या देख लिया, तो जुमला मिल गया (2) 36 तकलीफ का वक़्त जो आगे आने वाला है (2) 37 आ री, ज़रा खाले! इसके बाद और कुछ नहीं (3) 38 नानी, थोड़ा बादाम ले लो, ये होगा तभी केक बनेगा! (4) 39 3 फुट का हाथी जिसपर छोटा सा तिल (2)

नीचे की ओर 1 संगमरमर के ताजमहल के सामने वाले हिस्सों में मिलने वाले इशारे (3) 2 कभी था वो क्रिकेट बादशाह, पर अफ़रीदी मोगॅंबो के साथ मिलके उसे उल्टा बंदी बनाता है (2) 3 नटखट रसिया, जंगली जानवर! (3) 4 पहला-पहला प्रेम? रुक जा! (3) 5 'लाल पत्थर' में प्राण का मध्यांतर के बाद भाग था, 'माइक' के वेश में (3) 6 अफ़ग़ानिस्तान (काबुल) में पहनने की चीज़ (3) 9 अंत में आमला लगाया (2) 10 सरताज, नागपुर में चाबुक मिलेगा (3) 12 चिकित्सक कम ही भटकते हैं (3) 14 क्रूर मनुष्य से दर की निंदा (केंद्रीय नहीं) (3) 16 सुबह-सुबह के बघार? (3) 17 दार्जिलिंग की सीमा के पास नया राक्षस है (3) 18 अंत में, जादुई चिराग जिसे मिला वो ग़रीब हो गया! (2) 19 नीरज ज़रा कम लम्बा है (3) 20 सरकारी सामान की वापसी - थोड़ी सी या पूरी ? (2) 21 सौ भाई और दो तिहाई कवच से संरक्षित (3) 23 सती माछ का टुकड़ा निगलकर डूब जाती है (3) 24 घाना, तंज़ानिया और केन्या के प्रमुख शायद खतरनाक हैं (3) 27 उल्टा-सीधा बोल, ऐसा अधिकार है (2) 28 महाभारत का पात्र जिसका कोई वंश नहीं? (3)  29 इस जानवर का सर काट दो, तो मिलेगा आशीर्वाद (3) 30 रिक्शे में बैठनेवाली रीवा से वापस आई (3) 32 ये जगह कुछ बुलंद नहीं है (3) 34 गर्व में चूर रावण थोड़ा क्रोधित हुआ (3) 36 ढेर सारे भुट्टे बिना ऊपरी छिलके के (2)

PDF format available here.

Notes On The Crossword

1. Word lengths are in syllables e.g. each of the words पहला, प्रथम, प्रदान, प्रस्थान will be enumerated as (3).
2. Complex consonants go into a single cell e.g. वर्ग will be split into two cells, the first with व, the second with र्ग. Similarly, प्रस्थान will be split into three cells, the first with प्र, the second with स्था, the third with न.
3. In wordplay, the matras may be treated independently of the letters e.g. राम when anagrammed can give मार or मरा.

Solving Instructions

1. Send in your completed entries to shuchi [at] crosswordunclued [dot] com, with the subject line "Hindi Cryptic Crossword 5 – Solution", latest by Saturday 26th March 2016.
2. Entries may be sent in this solution template – replace "Your Name" in the file name with your name. If not using the template, the solution should be legible and readable in a standard text or image reader. PNG, Excel, Word formats are all OK.
3. Solution words should be in Devanagari script. [A tool like Quillpad can be used for typing in Hindi.]
4. Entries should contain annotations for the answers. Any annotation format is all right – words or symbols, Hindi or English – as long as how you arrived at the answer is clear.

If you have any questions related to solution submission, please post them in the comments section.

The Prize

The winner can choose gift vouchers on Flipkart or Amazon IN/US/UK, worth INR 1000 (or equivalent in USD/GBP).

The solver with the maximum correct answers, correctly annotated, will win. In case of ties, the winner will be picked by a lucky draw.

The solution to the crossword and the winner's name will be announced in a follow-up post after 26th March 2016.

Get solving now – all the best!

Update (29-Mar-2016): Hindi Crossword 5: Solution and Winner

Related Posts:

• Previous Hindi crosswords: 1, 2, 3, 4
• How do you spell Ximenean in Hindi?
• A crossword in Bahasa Indonesia

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.

Clue Challenge: Annotate These Answers XI

A batch of eight clues with tricky parsing. The answers are given with the clues. Can you annotate them?

Post the annotations in the comments section.

Update (2nd March 2015): Annotations added

1. Guardian 26600 (Qaos): Watch over hearts, this unwelcomed game? (8) DRAUGHTS
Annotation: GUARD (watch) over i.e. reversed, H (hearts) T[hi]S (this unwelcomed => THIS without a greeting/HI); definition: game.

2. Times 26159: Pay attention — this statement is out by a factor of five (6) LISTEN
Annotation: The statement 'L IS TEN' i.e. '50 = 10' is out by a factor of 5; definition: pay attention.

3. Times 26227: With first item taken, second doubtful (4) IFFY
Annotation: JIFFY (second) with first item 'J' taken; definition: doubtful.

4. Times 26252: Teams catch a couple of them in an impossible situation! (7) ELEVENS
Annotation: A couple of elevens is 22. Catch-22 is an impossible situation; definition: teams.

5. Guardian 26714 (Screw): What open doors and often don't close, shock horror! (5,4) SPLIT ENDS
Annotation: 'opEN Doors' and 'oftEN Dont' close i.e. contain 'EN D's i.e. split ENDs; definition: shock horror.

6. FT 15106 (Mudd): Best ever, as is ace in lap? (6-8) RECORD-BREAKING
Annotation: A (ace) in LAP is breaking LP (record); definition: best ever.

7. Independent 9144 (Donk): Appropriate, what finishes off John Does? (10) COMMANDEER
Annotation: COMMA (,) [joh]N DEER (does); definition: appropriate.

8. Guardian 26690 (Puck): Some Mother’s Pride? Worried about one slice having no crusts (4,3) LION CUB
Annotation: ([a]BOU[t] [o]N[e] [s]LIC[e])*; definition: some mother's pride.

Visit our past clue annotation challenges: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X.

Related Posts:

• My Top Ten Clues 2015
• Holi ki Paheli: Hal Karein
• What's common to these clues?

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.

A Crossword in Bahasa Indonesia

In a taxi in Jakarta, I found an abandoned newspaper with a crossword in Bahasa Indonesia on it. This was the first time I saw a crossword in Indonesian and I was pretty excited. The driver let me carry the newspaper home and I decided to try solving it.

Over the course of the last few months, living in Indonesia, I have picked up a bit of the language. Bahasa Indonesia is written in the Roman script; a big chunk of its vocabulary shares etymology with English/Hindi. I now understand enough to recognize patterns and parts of speech, and to attempt basic conversations (sometimes wih awry results, as when I requested housekeeping to 'wash away my room after I went') - not enough to solve crosswords.

But with online tools by my side, I thought I could take a stab at it.

During a conversation at IXL 2015, I had learnt something amazing: some of the world's best Scrabble players do not speak the language they play in, their expertise comes from grasp over the dictionary and the techniques of the game. I also remembered Hindi crossword contests on CU – most of those who finish the crosswords do so mainly because of their ability to solve crosswords; by their own admission, they aren't fluent in Hindi.

These two reminders were inspiration enough. I set to solving.

Here is the grid and the clues, and then my solving sequence. 36 of the 50 clues have been solved – I invite you to pitch in and complete the grid.

Klasika Crosswords #244: Grid and Clues

A closer look at the clues:

Solving Sequence

The length and structure of the clues suggest that this is a non-cryptic crossword.

A few of the clues are tagged (Inggris). Assuming these lead to translations in English, I tackle them first.

My FOI is 2a: SICK - a direct translation of Sakit.

8a Adalah (2) - a word I know well, it appears before nouns in Bahasa Indonesia to stand for 'is' (e.g. anda adalah gajah = you are an elephant). In goes IS.

11a, 14a, 27a, 28a, 6d, 42d – simple translations - GAG, ALL, RUN, ELSE ANGLE, OAR.

Of the Inggris-tagged clues, I don't answer 32d Tanduk (5), 35a Badan duniya (3) or 30a Kumpulan (9) in the first pass. 'Tanduk' = horn/antlers – neither fits the answer length. For 'kumpulan' = set/assembly, and 'badan duniya' = world organization, I need more checkers to zero in on the solution.

I move on to the non-English answers.

The capitalized word in 25a Tanda kendaraan Pontiakan (2) suggests a proper noun. The clue translates to 'Signs vehicle Pontianak'. Pontianak is a city in West Kalimantan, its vehicle registration sign is KB. I put that in.

21a Atas Nama (2) must be a standard abbreviation for 'Atas Nama'. What could it be? This page tells me it is a.n.

The top-right corner of the grid now looks like this:

15a Sifat Tuhan (3) E??: The clue means 'Nature of God'; taking the checkers into account, letter patterns in Indonesian suggest that the second letter should be consonant, the third a vowel. ESA seemed like a likely answer, but I can find no clear justification for it online - Google translates ESA to one/single.

I try to validate ESA with the crossings.

If ESA is right then 16d Tindakan sebagai hukuman (6) is SA?KS?. The clue means  'Action as punishment'. The answer must be a type rather than a synonym of the definition.

Can it be SANKSI? Having talked plenty about the implementasi of an aplikasi of late, I am fairly confident about this deduksi. Google Translate returns a confirmasi.

My next attempt is the highly specific-looking 1d: Nama belakang Presiden ke-15 AS, menjabat dari 4 Maret 1857 hingga 3 Maret 1861 (8). Indeed, the clue is asking for the last name of the 15th US President who served from 4 March 1857 to 3 March 1861. Online search immediately points to BUCHANAN.

40a Memperingati ulang tahunnya setiap 5 Oktober (3) - another GK clue. It wants to know whose anniversary Indonesia commemorates every 5 October. It is the TNI.

5d translates to Football Association, Ambon- a lookup of Indonesian football clubs for Ambon/?S? gets me PSA.

24a Lambang kilia Natrium (2) – Symbol of sodium = Na.

36d Gugusan bintang yang bercahaya sangat terang (5) ??I?? wants 'a cluster of stars that shine bright'. ORION? I check that the word in Indonesian is the same.

On to 12a Bentuk terikat enam (5) H?K??:

Enam = six. The translation of 'Bentuk terikat enam' to 'Unbound form six' doesn't convey much but the checkers suggest HEKSA [from 'hexa'. In Indonesia, 'x' is spelled as 'ks'. Yes, I found this crossword in a taksi.]

43a Poros (2) – means 'axis' in English. Synonym AS in Indonesian.

17a Sebuah Ormas Islam (2) N? suggests NU.

18d Bagian kalimat yang dilisankan (6). I ask a friend what 'dilisankan' means, as Google does not have a translation for it:

I learn that 'dilisankan' means 'spoken'. With U?AR?? in the grid, what fits the definition 'part sentence spoken'? Could it be a derivative of the Hindi 'uchchaaran'? I try spelling 'uchchaaran' as its plausible Indonesian equivalent UJARAN [double letters condensed, chch = j], and find that it does mean 'speech'.

Next stop at 1a Matahari (6) B?S???? And 5a Angon (6) P??A??:

The clues mean 'sun' and 'air'. Can the answers be BASKARA (from the Hindi word 'bhaskara' meaning 'sun') and PAWANA (from the Hindi word 'pavan' meaning 'air')? [In Indonesian, भ/bh = b, व = w, ऊ/oo = u. For example, bhoomi = bumi, vijay = wijaya.]

I write in 1a BASKARA and 5a PAWANA.

8d Khayalan (5) is a fine example of the confluence of language influences in Indonesian. 'Khayalan' comes from 'khayal' – 'thought' in Hindi/Urdu, often an abstract one. The answer is its synonym ILUSI, which shares its root with the English 'illusion'.

35a Badan duniya (3) ?NO is clearly UNO.

I know from reading TV subtitles that 4d Bermakna ganda (6) i.e. 'not meaningful' can be AMBIGU (from 'ambiguous').

10a Zat yang diperlukan tumbuhan atau hewan untuk pertembuhan (4) ?A??. The clue translates to 'substances necessary for the growth of plants or animals'. Since the first letter of ?A?? must end the word ??B?LA? and its last letter must be the second last of ???U?I???, only a small subset of letters can fit 10a to form plausible checkers. I guess it is HAWA (Hindi has the same word for 'air').

26d Racun tikus (8) BE?????? – thanks to this prime time news story, I do not need the translator for racun = poison. Tikus = rat, so I run through possible rat poison names. I find that arsenic = BERANGAN.

13d Alat untuk mengamankan arus listrik (7) S????N?. means 'Tools for securing electrical current'. I translate 'fuse' and get SEKRING. That fits.

19a Paguyuban (9) K??U?I?A?, which means 'circle of friends', is now looking like KOMUNITAS. [In Indonesian, when 'c' is pronounced as 'k', it is spelled with a 'k'; when pronounced as 's', it is spelled with an 's'. We conduct diskusi, separate words with spasi, laugh at komedi. Also, English words that end in –ity usually end in –itas in Indonesian. Such is the language's singularitas.]

KOMUNITAS also clinches the answer to Negara di Afrika (8) which, so far, had other possibilities like ALGERIA, KAMERUN, LIBERIA. I put in SENEGAL.

With SENEGAL in the grid, one can safely infer that 30a Kumpulan (Inggris) (9) G???????G is GATHERING.

From this point onwards, Google Translate begins to fail me...

I cannot find a suitable answer to 9a Sifat bawaan; tabiat (7) ??B?LAH, via Google Translate for 'trait' or 'character'.

Kamus Lengkap Indonesia-Inggris gives me a breakthrough: the word is JIBILAH.

The next hurdle 22a Pentunjuk kepada orang untuk diketahui (4) AJ?R is a bigger one despite the crossings – the translation makes no sense:

I ask a friend again. "Is the answer PEMBERITAHUAN?", the friend asks in return. It has to fit AJ?R, I say. AJAR is the answer - that means 'teaching'. So much for 'Instructions to the person to be known'.

I had earlier passed HORN for 32d Tanduk (5) due to the length mismatch. Now the grid fill is H???S. The plural HORNS might work.

Here I take a pause.

Complete The Grid: Over To You!

36 of the 50 clues have been solved. Can you solve the rest?

The partly-filled grid looks like this:

The unsolved clues are:

ACROSS: 23a, 29a, 37a, 38a, 41a, 44a, 45a
DOWN: 3d, 7d, 29d, 31d, 33d, 38d, 39d

The clues:

Selamat menikmati!

Related Posts:

• How Kishore Solved a Tenglish Crossword
• Parallels between Cryptanalysis and Crossword Solving
• 5 Works of Art Inspired by Crosswords

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.

My Top Ten Clues 2015

A selection of my favourite clues from the crosswords I attempted in 2015. Enjoy solving! Wish you a very happy new year 2016.

Times 26295: PIN number? (4,3) D___ __G

Guardian 26647 (Arachne): Expressing a slight scepticism about old ways of seeing things? (9) G________

Guardian 26632 (Screw): Lead, perhaps, from last 14 letters? (5) __T__

Times 26208: Venturesome sort reaches top of this? (5,7) M____ _______

Times 26096: Fast Spanish fleet runs away — British ships to port and starboard? (7) R______

FT 14998 (Goliath): One might like red mobile phone to be dropped in uncovered toilet (9) O________

Sunday Times 4632 (Dean Mayer): Threw mud? Mud had to be thrown (10) B_________

Guardian 26545 (Nutmeg): Intricate source of visual reception? (5,5) O____ _____

Guardian 26677 (Vlad): To be the boss's squeeze was sheer torture (4,3,8) ____ ___ T_______

FT 15037 (Loroso): Clay, china-like pots (3)

Which clues did you like the most?

Related Posts:

• My Top Ten Clues 2014
• My Top Ten Clues 2013
• My Top Ten Clues 2012

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.

Hindi Crossword 4: Solve and Win Prizes!

As promised, here is the latest Hindi crossword set by Kishore and me. This one has been a long time in the making - we came up with the idea soon after the Holi crossword was done and Kishore had this grid ready in no time (how does he do it?!), then the clueing happened bit by bit over several weeks.

Ever since I saw Afrit's puzzle True Lover's Knot in which every clue is a rhyming couplet, I have wanted to do something similar. Clueing this way in Hindi seemed like a workable idea – rhyme is one form of wordplay that the language takes to very well. So I put the idea of a fully versified Hindi puzzle to Kishore. And immediately got back a "बच्चे की जान लोगी क्या?" for response.

Soon though, he was totally into the rhyme rhythm, so much so that the only non-rhyming clues you see in this crossword are due to my persuasion that they are nicer than their rhymed alternatives.

This crossword has a theme. Actually, two themes: a main theme and a mini "red herring" theme. One answer to an Across clue is common to both themes.

Time to show you the crossword and tell you how you can win prizes.

आर-पार 1 संगीत यन्त्र में स्वर बदले पंडित इन्होने किया औषधि शास्त्र को खंडित (2) 2 नाश्ते का यही वक़्त है, प्रभात, न दिन-दोपहर न काली रात (3) 4 हींग लहसुन का छिलका मददगार, फेंकने से उसे करो इन्कार (2) 5 केशवदासजी छुपाए 6 नीचे? (2) 6 लय का अभ्यास करो चुस्त, तभी मामला बने दुरुस्त (3) 7 पीछे सुरीला ऋषभ, आगे चमड़ा हाथी का नाम हो गया रांझे या मोती के साथी का (2) 9 शगुन, बारात और शादी की शुरुआत? सुनो मेरी सलाह बिलकुल उल्टा कर दो इन्हे और पाओ मेरी वाह-वाह! (3) 11 बल का पतन? लायें चुंबन का साधन (2) 13 कोटर, या पूरी-मटर? (2) 16 ताप के उत्पात का फल है ज्ञात (2) 18 पटना-गया में मिलने वाला रेंगता जीव बहुधा विषैला (2) 19 नहीं ! रक्त निकल सकता है इस के इस्तेमाल से (3) 22 अंग्रेजी में ऊपरवाला 9 होगा, पर हिंदी में इसे कह सकते हैं - "पहले ऊँट पे रूमाली रोटी खा " (3,2) 25 दबंग दिल से लगाए पैसा? वह बन सकता है बेड़ियों जैसा (3) 27 हाथ की रोकड़ नहीं लुटाई तभी मिली ऐसी ऊँचाई (2) 28 नाराज़ नाना से इस बात को छुपाना (2) 30 सम्पूरण सिंह कालरा की ब्याहता के हाथ में इस को बाँधा जाता (2) 32 घातक सांप ने कुण्डल में जकड़ा समूचे का बनाया बारीक़ टुकड़ा (2) 34 कोहरा न होते हुए भी नज़ारे धुंधले नज़र आवें? कान पकड़कर नाक पे रखो इसे, आँखें चार हो जावें! (3) 37 नारी किसी और ही ढंग की चले तिरछी क्षैतिज या सीधी चाल चतुरंग की (2) 39 खिंचाई हाथ-पाँव की, घुमाया जाना गर्दन का, कई पहलवान करवायें इसे, यह काम है अंग-मर्दन का (3) 40 सूरज की पहली किरण से रात के आखिर तक बनाते हैं धागा (2) 41 बाईस से दो ग्यारह नौ दो ग्यारह हो गए - समझो इसे सही, और सोचो उसके बाद क्या बचा? कुछ नहीं, कुछ भी नहीं  (2) 42 पैसेवाले ईद की शुरुआत रस में डूबकर करते है (3) 43 सरगम में सुर कितने हैं यार? बहुत दूर है जितने समंदर पार (2)

नीचे की ओर 1 ठीक उसी तरह, वैदेही का दिल गया - और फिर से बन गया (2,1) 2 सोना चाहते हो तो अच्छे रंग का इस्तेमाल करो (3) 3 सदा के लिए शाह ने मुँह मोड़ लिया फिर भी उसने थोड़ा मेवा निगल लिया (3) 4 इसे उतारो बखूब तो मिलेगा हूबहू प्रतिरूप (3) 6 कैलाशनाथजी छुपाए 5 आर-पार? (2) 8 मुज़फ्फर अली की उमराव जान को देखा? वही जिसकी अदाकारा हैं भानु ___  (2) 10 जुआरी फ़िल्मी मल्होत्राजी यूँ फ़रमाते हैं - हारकर जीतने वाले ये कहलाते हैं (4) 12 सामने पड़े व्यंजन, तीन बार चुनें बहुत ही नटखट रिश्तेदार (3) 14 नाना पाटेकर का आँकन कर (2) 15 जब खराब हो जाएगा नाम तभी समझोगे ये है हराम (2) 17 छाता ऊपर से ढाल छुपे बैठे देवी लाल (2) 18 नटखट ऋषि जो स्वर्ग लोक से आया मुन्नार-देवकोट्टई के बीच उसने डेरा जमाया (3) 20 खूंसट का पहला बच्चा सामने से बने बहुत अच्छा (2) 21 घी मक्खन छेना जिसकी मेहरबानी है, उसके बिना चाय मानो काला पानी है (2) 23 दीपक, वानरों के पास हैं खाने की चीज़ें ख़ास (4) 24 राख यहाँ-वहाँ उड़ रही, फिर भी, यही है सही (2) 25 संदूक से सांड के सिर को निकाल कर, अरे ओ मेरे यार, वहाँ बंदर का सिर रख दो, तो तुमको मिलेगा हथियार (3) 26 यान को ठीक से घुमाओ, और एक नूतन शब्द पाओ (2) 29 नज़राने के अंदर झाँक के देखो - कुछ तो दिखेगा (2) 31 खरबूजे का टुकड़ा डालो, ईराकी कीमत लगाओ बाद में - और इसको पाओ सलाद में! (2) 33 साथी शुरू करें, अन्य करें विराम दोनो मिल खायें थोड़ा माल्दा आम (3) 34 आनंद है! श्वेता नंदा इनकी "नंद" है! (2) 35 गुरु थे स्वामी रामानंद जिनके हाथ में बीन का टुकड़ा है बंद (3) 36 जा सूंघ सवारियों के सर, और नज़र आएगा गुप्तचर (3) 38 गोपनीयता में डूबा ऐसा कुछ मंसूबा (3)

PDF format available here.

Notes On The Crossword

1. Word lengths are in syllables e.g. each of the words पहला, प्रथम, प्रदान, प्रस्थान will be enumerated as (3).
2. Complex consonants go into a single cell e.g. वर्ग will be split into two cells, the first with व, the second with र्ग. Similarly, प्रस्थान will be split into three cells, the first with प्र, the second with स्था, the third with न.
3. In wordplay, the matras may be treated independently of the letters e.g. राम when anagrammed can give मार or मरा.

Solving Instructions

1. Send in your completed entries to shuchi [at] crosswordunclued [dot] com, with the subject line "Hindi Cryptic Crossword 4 – Solution", latest by Monday 24th August 2015.
2. Entries should preferably be sent in this solution template – replace "Your Name" in the file name with your name. If not using the template, the solution should be legible and readable in a standard text or image reader. PNG, Excel, Word formats are all OK.
3. Solution words should be in Devanagari script. [A tool like Quillpad can be used for typing in Hindi.]
4. Entries should contain annotations for the answers. Any annotation format is all right – words or symbols, Hindi or English – as long as how you arrived at the answer is clear.
5. Entries can indicate the theme by stating it in words and marking the themed clue numbers with an asterisk (*).

If you have any questions related to solution submission, please post them in the comments section.

The Prizes

There are two separate prizes up for grabs:

1. a gift voucher worth INR 1000 (or equivalent in USD/GBP) for the maximum correct answers to the crossword
2. a gift voucher worth INR 500 (or equivalent in USD/GBP) for correctly identifying the main theme

The winners can choose gift vouchers on Flipkart or Amazon US/UK.

• You are eligible for the correct answers prize even if you have not identified the theme, and you are eligible for the theme prize even if you have not solved the puzzle completely.
• The same solver can get both prizes.
• In case of a tie for the maximum correct answers, the first selection criteria will be the accuracy of wordplay parsing. If that too is tied, the winner will be picked by a lucky draw.
• In case of a tie for theme identification, the first selection criteria will be the accuracy of identifying themed entries. If that too is tied, the winner will be picked by a lucky draw.

The solution to the crossword and the winners' names will be announced in a follow-up post after 24th August 2015.

Do your best and have fun solving! Shall I wish you good luck, or shall I listen to Afrit here -

Pasted perhaps but rarely stuck;
They're skilled: no need to wish them luck! (6)

Related Posts:

• Previous Hindi crosswords: 1, 2, 3
• How do you spell Ximenean in Hindi?
• Setting a Hindi crossword: Lessons Learnt & Recommendations

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.

Holi ki Paheli: Hal Karein

What an experience! Putting together Holi ki Paheli (puzzle for Holi) has been exhilarating to say the least - exchanging over a hundred emails with the creative setters who wrote clues for the puzzle, bouncing ideas off each other, discovering untried techniques that work in Hindi clue-writing and learning new lessons along the way.

Presenting for you to solve Holi ki Paheli, set by 18 of us. It is an open puzzle: post two answers in the comments section, with an explanation of how the answer is derived. To type in Hindi, you can use quillpad. We would love to hear your feedback too – which clues you enjoyed the most, which you struggled with, was the crossword hard/easy, anything else you'd like to say.

आर - पार 6 आज-कल मनुष्य के पास लिखने का साधन है (3) 7 हिम्मत है तो नाचते हुए गिरजा से बाहर आ (3) 8 इस के भाव बिकना कौन अनाड़ी दिलफेंक चाहेगा (2) 9 "किताबों के अंदर छुपा है" - उल्टा बोल (2) 10 फ़िल्मों के देव की सर्वप्रथम रचना - "मेरी शपथ" (3) 12 घर में कमान इधर-उधर है (3) 16 मध्य पूर्वी लोग अब रुपये अपने कब्ज़े में रखते हैं (3) 18 जीत के जश्न में दिया हार? (4) 21 बैंगनी - 20 में मिला ये रंग (2) 22 चिंतन का साथी मन लगाकर पहली नसीहत को अपनाता है (3) 24 मुश्किल हरकतों में ही बसी है तरंग (3) 26 "लीडर" का अभिनेता अभी नहीं है (2) 27 हिन्दी क्रॉसवर्ड में एक क्लू बनाने के लिए कितना _______ पड़ता है न, मटर खाते हैं (4) 30 सीधा हो तो बने शुल्क, उलट-फेर से अपना मुल्क (3) 32 सहरसा ने पलटी मारकर दिखाई आखिरकार बिहार से विभाजित होने की दिलेरी (3) 34 बर्दाश्त कर, एकाध लात खा ले - यही हिदायत है (3)  36 एकटक ताक रकम को, मिलेगी थोड़ी सी रिश्वत (2)  37 लेकिन उड़ने के लिए इनकी ज़रुरत है (2)  38 असल में अजित साहा मिदनापुर में है (3) 39 बेकसूर मार्वेल सूपरहीरोज़ के प्रधानों के साथ गेम का दूसरा भाग (3)

नीचे की ओर 1 निर्माता का साथ होना (3) 2 डटकर काम करना है तो इसे कसो (3) 3 रंग जिस शब आधे दिखेंगे, बस शिकायत रह जाएगी! (3) 4 क्रोधी मगर चलता है (3) 5 लोकप्रिय फ़िल्म मध्यांतर के बाद - सवाल परिचय का? (1,2) 11 कैसे भी हमें दी लगाए शादी का रंग (3) 13 कलाकार, ना कर गिरा हुआ ऐसा धंधा? (2) 14 प्रेमचंद की रचना में घोटाला? (3) 15 बौद्ध सन्यासी, माला को ऊपर फेंकिए (2) 17 अँग्रेज़ी शराब और थोड़ी ताड़ी का आनंद उठाता (3) 19 नीचे इसके ऊँट आये तो टूटे अकड़, राई का बने तो हो बात का बतंगड़ (3) 20 छोटे शाहिद अफ़रीदी शर्म से ऐसे हो जाते हैं (2) 21 कमल-रजनी की रचना (3) 23 पहले नहीं, मगर अंत में है आदमी (2) 25 ए! लगे तो प्रभु की पुकार, नमक डालो तो बने गद्दार (3) 28 गणेश तिवारी की पहली रफ़्तार (2) 29 स्वामी, थोड़ा ऊन लेकर आइए निजी तरीके से, भारत-चीन सरहद पर इस जगह (2,1) 31 हूर? भटकती आत्मा! (2) 32 हिसार, सरिस्का के भीतरी क्षेत्रों में दिखता है यह लंबी टाँगों वाला पक्षी (3) 33 आसरे सहित पराजित हुए? (3) 34 संसद मेले में मिलने वाले झटके (3) 35 मेरे नवाबी पैंतरे? हे राम! (3) 36 दूसरें स्थानों में रितेश और ममता (ज़रा घूँघट लिए!) गड़बड़ करते फिरते (3)

Crossword by: Abhay Phadnis (Pluralist), Anish Madhavan (Spiffytrix), Chaturvasi, Deepak Gopinath (Doppelganger), Kishore Rao (Incognito), Lakshmi Vaidyanathan, M.V.Narayan, Mohsin Ahmed (Mac), Raju Umamaheswar, Richard Lasrado, Sanjay Prakash, Shachii and Pratima Manik, Shuchi, Vasant Srinivasan, Vidyadhar Gadgil, Vinayak Rao Ekbote, Vinod Raman (Textrous)

Big thanks and compliments for the puzzle contributors. It was amazing to see the range of ideas and devices used, especially since this was a debut attempt at Hindi clue-writing for most of the setters. And a shout-out to my partner in cruciverbal crime - Kishore Rao - who made the whole project possible, right from creating the grid to vetting every clue.

Get solving! Post two answers/feedback in the comments section (unmoderated on this post).
Puzzle contributors: you can post answers too, for clues other than your own :-)

PDF/Print version available here: Holi ki Paheli (PDF).
Update (5^th March 2015): Solution grid and annotations available here: Holi ki Paheli Solutons (PDF)

Related Posts:

• Shuddh Desi Cryptic Crossword – in Hindi
• A Round-Up of GANDHI Clues
• April Fool's Day Specials

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.

Clue Challenge: Annotate These Answers X

The parsing of these clues stumped me even after I knew their answers. Sharing with you the clues along with their answers. Can you see how their wordplay works?

Post the annotations in the comments section.

Update (25th Feb 2015): Annotations added

1. FT 14700 (Wanderer): Number given in exchange (6) NINETY
Annotation:XC (given in 'eXChange') is 90 in Roman numerals; definition: number.

2. FT 14705 (Alberich): Unscrupulous sort will be back shortly after retiring (7) SHYSTER
Annotation:STER[n] (back, 'shortly' i.e. before its end) after SHY (retiring); definition: unscrupulous sort.

3. Indy 7848 (Nimrod): Love apple core to be spewed out by robots? (6) TOMATO
Annotation:core of auTOMATOns (robots) ; definition: love apple.

4. Guardian 26396 (Tramp): Main virtually left in Pizza Hut served with cold sauce (7) KETCHUP
Annotation:KE[y] (main, virtually i.e. almost) {P (left in 'Pizza') + HUT with C (cold)}*, 'served' as anagrind; definition: sauce.

5. Guardian 26482 (Pasquale): Troubled and more like an invalid, it seems (8) BOTHERED
Annotation:OTHER (more) in BED (like an invalid, it seems); definition: troubled. See Tricky Indicators II for more examples of implied indicators.

6. Sunday Times 4614 (Dean Mayer): Double yellow lines throw ordinary F1 team (4,5) TORO ROSSO
Annotation:double yellow => 2*OR (yellow, from heraldry) 'lines' i.e. fills TOSS (throw) O (ordinary); definition: F1 team.

7. Guardian 26469 (Paul): Far from bloody outstanding article – deservedly so? (6) UNREAD
Annotation:UN-RED (far from bloody i.e. not red) 'outstanding' i.e. outside of A (article); semi-&lit: an article that's 'far from bloody outstanding' would be deservedly UNREAD.

8. Guardian 26492 (Arachne): About to receive a broadcast (see below) (5) INFRA
Annotation:sounds like 'IN FOR A'; definition: see below.

Visit our past clue annotation challenges: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX.

Related Posts:

• My Top Ten Clues 2014
• Fill In The Blanks
• Really Well Hidden Long Answers

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.

My Top Ten Clues 2014

My pick of ten outstanding clues from 2014. Which clues were your favourites this year?

Guardian 26373 (Nutmeg): Like Mum and Dad, I complain vigorously about doctor (11) P__________

FT 14737 (Alberich): A tall tree tumbles, trapping one? That will do (10) A_________

Times 25800: Bodywork with bumper off finally exposed (8) W______T

Guardian 26295 (Pasquale): Embarrassed about sexes sitting next to each other, ensconced on sofa? (5) C____

Sun Times 4605 (Dean Mayer): Put too much money into space travel, do I? I must be mad (15) O______________

Clue by Mohsin @ 1ACross: (twelfth of seventy-eight) + (fourth of five) + (eighth of eighteen) (3) 

Azed CWC 2170 (T.C.Borland): Utter it leaving terminal in Tokyo Narita? (8) S_______

Times 25906: Flying Gulf Air, one goes into Economy? (6)

FT 14778 (Redshank): Somehow deflecting praise, suppressing ego (4-11)

Guardian 26182 (Paul): Intercepting express, criminal is armed, one holding up a train (10) B_________

Best wishes to you for 2015 – have a fantastic new year!

[Answers next week.]

Related Posts:

• My Top Ten Clues 2013
• My Top Ten Clues 2012
• My Top Ten Clues 2011

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.

Clue Challenge: Annotate These Answers IX

Eight deviously constructed clues, with answers. How do you get the answers from the clues?

Have fun figuring them out. Post the annotations in the comments section.

Update (14th Apr 2014): Annotations added.

1. Guardian 26101 (Enigmatist): Cook's been able to do this once on time (common gender question posed by society!) (6,3,5) RETAIN THE ASHES
Annotation:RE (on) T (time) AIN'T HE A SHE (common gender question) S (society); definition: (Alistair) Cook's been able to do this once.

2. FT 14373 (Cinephile): Rhyme for rhyme for carriage makes stalemate (8) DEADLOCK
Annotation:rhyme for carriage: marriage = wedlock: rhyme for DEADLOCK; definition: stalemate.

3. Times 25649: Evil doctor in Emergency Room — victim of farmer's wife's thumping (8) ENORMOUS
Annotation:NO (evil doctor) in ER (Emergency Room), MOUS (victim of farmer's wife - MOUSE with its tail cut off, as in Three Blind Mice); definition: thumping.

4. Times 25695: Boy, there's some warbling around about the place close to memorial! (5,6,4) ROYAL ALBERT HALL
Annotation:ROY (boy i.e. a boy's name) + LA-LA-LA (some warbling) reversed, about BERTH (place) + L (close to 'memoriaL'); &lit for a concert hall in London, which is close to the Albert Memorial.

5. Guardian 26206 (Philistine): Therapist of the nose? Pay attention to include wise report about that (13) PSYCHOANALYST
Annotation:CHOANAL (of the nose) in YY ("wise" report i.e. a homophone) in PSST (pay attention); definition: therapist.

6. Times 25733: Lake that's divided as expanse has contracted (4,3) ARAL SEA
Annotation:L (lake) "that's divided" i.e. in AS, contracted by i.e. contained in AREA (expanse); &lit for the shrinking and division of the Aral Sea.

7. Guardian 26183 (Orlando): Grow up with short story collection (6) SPROUT
Annotation:"collection" i.e. anagram of UP and STOR[y]; definition: grow up.

8. FT 14581 (Gozo): Rough on the seabed, holding nothing, containers missing (7) UNKEMPT
Annotation:SUNK (on the seabed) + EMPTY (holding nothing), with containers missing i.e. [s]UNK EMPT[y]. definition: rough.

Visit our past clue annotation challenges: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII.

Related Posts:

• Abbreviations Every Solver Must Know
• How to Interpret Punctuation in Clues
• 5 Ordinary Words with Obscure Meanings in Cryptic Crosswords

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.

What's common to these clues?

Quick post to get your grey cells gymming on a Sunday.

The four fine clues below have a theme to them. Solve and tell what it is.

Guardian 25934 (Rufus): A sign of wrong and right, we hear, in puzzle (8) 

FT13718 (Dante): What's made for maid in house to clean and polish (9)

Guardian 26050 (Arachne): Promises no unfair wordplay (10)

Sunday Times 4476 (Anax): One is somewhat tired of waiter's method (7)

Related Posts:

• Do the Math to Solve These Clues
• Spell Out the Answer
• What's Wrong with This Clue?

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.

My Top Ten Clues 2013

Best wishes to you for a very happy and successful 2014. At the close of 2013, sharing a selection of ten outstanding clues that were my personal favourites of this year. Enjoy solving!

Times 25372: Storing most of new mobile phone numbers? (9) R____O___

Guardian 26056 (Philistine): Coldplay's latest hit (newer compilation) (3,7,4) ___ W______ ___E

FT14219 (Redshank): Question: is romance ruined when sex intrudes? (5-7) C___-_______

Guardian 26093 (Arachne): Toast Schubert, Brahms and Liszt — cheers! (10) B_______T_

Guardian 26110 (Picaroon): With onset of nineties, memories not working could result in one (6,6) S_____ _____T

Sunday Times 4527 (Dean Mayer): Mister Bob Hope (7) __R___R

Independent 8406 (Quixote): Pound lost — keen person in no danger of looking fat! (8) ___L____

Times 25574: Van Gogh, in famous self-portrait, wouldn't have this approach (4,4) D___ ____

Times 25463: Cautious, taking dangerous bends (2,4,5) __ ____ ____D

FT 14314 (Alberich): Bill Gates fires partners (6) _____R

Which clues did you enjoy the most in 2013?

Related Posts:

• My Top Ten Clues 2012
• My Top Ten Clues 2011
• My Top Ten Clues 2010
• What makes a crossword a good collection of clue types?

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.