22May/0919
The 22nd of May
TT's had a blinder of a last three weeks. Yet again, he's finished off the DA with so much spare time left that one would start considering, maybe, just maybe, bothering to do the ordinary synonym-based crossword.
Anyway, here's his magic:
And according to TT, today's was the third in a consecutive series of easy crosswords, which means one should never believe the prognostications of some dude on a blog.
May 22nd, 2009 - 20:47
8D: Probably something completely obvious… LITANIES? Can’t make it work.
5D: “Hearse, perhaps” = BONE CAR? Pull the other one.
May 22nd, 2009 - 20:53
8D revisited.
“Informalities” – “iform” leaves the letters for LITANIES.
That’s all I got.
May 23rd, 2009 - 02:55
8D: This is what I reckon.
Never opening = N
informalities = in (containment indicator) + form (anagram indicator) + alities
Never opening informalities = N in LITAIES = LITANIES
5D: That’s what I figured too! Hearse perhaps = BONE CAR. I know DA is somewhat irreverent. But a corpse is more than just bones. I hope someone can come up with a better explanation.
Now for my issues:
12A: OCCUPANT
This is P (parking) inside an anagram of account. The containment indicator seems to be “part of”. Not keen on that.
14A: RUDIMENTARIES (I think)
This seems to be DIME (small US investment) inside RUNT (minor issue). This leave ARIES = “confronting house”. Huh? I don’t get this last bit.
25A: GRAVITAS
Fairly serious = GRAV (almost grave)
fugitive touched = IT (That’s the bit I don’t get)
a small = AS
2D: HEATER (I think)
Radiator = HEATER
piece = ???????????????
May 23rd, 2009 - 09:59
RB, a ‘piece’ is a pistol according to 1930s movies and also a ‘heater’, as in ‘packing heat’.
‘Aries” is one of the houses of the zodiac.
I need explanations for 11A, 3D, 4D, and I reckon 20A is pretty suss.
May 23rd, 2009 - 10:02
RB
14A: RUDIMENT is “confronting” ARIES, the astrological house.
2D: HEATER is US slang for a gun, or a “piece”.
May 23rd, 2009 - 10:19
12A: I don’t have an issue with P being “part of” ACCOUNT, but I do have an issue with “damaged” instead of “damages”, which seems to be another case of DA trying too hard for a pun.
May 23rd, 2009 - 10:21
25A: GRAVITAS
I don’t get it, either.
May 23rd, 2009 - 10:28
Shouldn’t comment while eating toast.
12A: I don’t like “damages”, even if there is such thing as a “damages account”.
25A: I don’t get IT, either.
May 23rd, 2009 - 10:49
RB, ARIES “confronting house” can be explained by the fact that Aries is the Bull!!!LOL
May 23rd, 2009 - 12:44
Aries is the Rambo.
May 23rd, 2009 - 12:53
JG’s queries:
11A: sweet = GELATO
mousse = GEL
briefly on 10-across (zenith) = briefly atop = ATO
3D: captain, say = KOOK
turned game = UR (RU is Rugby Union)
a supporter’s = a bra’s = ABRAS
hockey team = KOOKABURRAS
4D: excellent = A1 = AI
to arrest …. this is the containment indicator
priest = PRIOR
based on speculation = A PRIORI (Hmmmm! Not sure that’s accurate)
20A: I wasn’t happy at first, but I’m now reconciled. Toasters are used for browning things, so toasters are “browning means”.
May 23rd, 2009 - 14:02
Now for my issues:
Thanks for the help with “heater” (I obviously don’t watch enough 1930′s gangster movies) and “house” (I know even less about astrology).
I still have a problem with “house”. I get the impression from Google that the Zodiac houses are not the same as the Zodiac signs (apparently, the houses are “ruled” by the signs and the planets), and in particular the names of the houses are not the same as the names of the signs. There are twelve houses (The Self, Possessions, Environment,….etc). It appears that “the First House is ruled by the Sign Aries and the Planet Mars”. So this means that Aries is not a “house” and this is a DA error. Unless the word “confronting” is meant to signify this “ruling” aspect.
I think I’ve already learned far too much about this topic!
May 25th, 2009 - 11:01
Congratulations to TT and evryone else who got this one out quickly. I also got it out eventually but it took a hard slog over the whole weekend. I will check the comments to try to clear up some of my confusions.
May 25th, 2009 - 11:19
Re 5D, I have no doubt hearse = bone car is what DA had in mind. Typical groan-inducing DA.
Here are my nominations for DA Gold.
16A: Comedian suffered friendly jeers (5,8) JERRY SEINFELD = anagram of “friendly jeers”. I think the bar has to be set rather high for an anagram to be Gold, but I like this one.
And my favourite, 21A: Dispose of vampire Dracula’s admission? (6) IMPALE. Dispose of vampire = impale; Dracula’s admission = I’m pale!
May 25th, 2009 - 11:25
Thanks to all for the comments. My confusions have been cleared up. 8D and 14A are insane!
May 25th, 2009 - 13:29
21A (IMPALE) was my favourite too! And I agree that 16A “friendly jeers” was a good anagram.
Re 25A: I still can’t satisfactorily explain the IT in GRAVITAS (it seems that “fugitive touched” = IT). I’ve come up with a very tenuous, self-referential explanation as follows: IT is “hiding” in the middle of fugitive! Do I hear the sound on many pshaws out there?
NC, please refer to last week’s responses – I added some more on law vs lore.
May 25th, 2009 - 17:07
Yes, RB. I spoke too soon. I am also still puzzled by 25A. BTW, I added another comment on the “lore” vs “law” question.
May 26th, 2009 - 11:15
I have an idea about 25A. Before you scoff, remember this is DA we are talking about, and solving a DA sometimes comes uncomfortably close to doing pyschoanalysis on DA’s mind.
OK, I think you are on the right track, RB. We just have to explain how fugitive touched = IT, just as if DA is using “touched” as some sort of “use the central bit of” indicator.
What if DA thinks that to be “touched” (i.e. emotionally) is the same as “to have your heart stolen”…if so, then QED.
Anyway, that’s my explanation until a better one comes along…
May 26th, 2009 - 16:20
Nice try, NC. Now all we need is for DA Himself to confirm it.