Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Thiruvananthapuram
Visakhapatnam
Play with palindromes
Crosswords are about word play, but there exists certain clues, which one cannot describe by any word other than this. Let's take the clue `Put the deer in reverse gear to get straw or bamboo (4)'. The answer is `Reed', which also means straw and is clue for the letters of the word `Deer' is reverse. The answer to `Precious metal, which does not rhyme (6)' is `Silver' for it believed that there is no English word rhyming with it. The clue `This country accommodates all the vowels (10)' would yield `Mozambique'. And `Syzygy' is the answer to the clue `The vowel-less near-straight line in which the sun, the moon and the earth come together during a lunar or a solar eclipse'.
Across
1. This country too accommodates all the vowels (ii)
5. Reversible action (5)
7. Palindromic South Indian mother (4)
8. Look stealthily from either side (4)
9. Mid-day from either end (4)
Down
1. The function of the accountant is -Ookkee (11)
2. Flat surface, whichever way you look (5)
3. Music without vowels (6)
6. What the eye does - in either direction (4)
8. Or what does the same from either side! (3)
`Byelorussia' is not difficult for those who have an eye for words and current affairs. The astronomical term `Syzygy' and the common musical term `Rhythm' have no vowels. `Book keeping' is one of those rare words where three letters appear in pairs in quick succession. `Deed', `Eye', `Noon', `Peep' and `Sees' are palindromes (This is the significance of the words: reversible, whichever way, either end, direction and side in the clues). So is the word `Amma'.
We'll, deal with two more types of clues, in the next series.
K. T. RAJAGOPALAN
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Thiruvananthapuram
Visakhapatnam
|
