Arden's name on a puzzle means entertainment is guaranteed.
ACROSS
1 The most learned one lives in the Occident (6) WISEST [lives=IS inside Occident=WEST]
4 Crowing about snake bite (8) BOASTING [snake=BOA + bite=STING]
9 It's blistering as the rod breaks (3,3) RED HOT [THE ROD]*
10 Have some hair on top and keep it pressed (4,4) BEAR DOWN
12 Call out before the King gives OK signal (3,5) ALL CLEAR [CALL* + king=LEAR]
13 David’s missing father, Harry is strong (6) VIRILE [daVId + harry(v)=ANGER]
15 May be concentration of over fifty — drop the supporter (4,8) CAMP FOLLOWER [may be concentration=CAMP + OF<- + fifty=L + drop=LOWER]
18 Fish — one can be drowned in say, oil (12) BRILLIANTINE
21 Portray the predicament (6) PLIGHT
22 Trap odd game (3,5) GIN RUMMY [trap=GIN + odd=RUMMY]
24 End contract by order, being dutiful (8) OBEDIENT [order=OBE + end=DIE +
25 Difficult to be mischievous, it's said (6) KNOTTY [~mischievous=NAUGHTY]
26 It's news when the missile finds its mark (8) BULLETIN [missile finds its mark=BULLET IN]
27 Main shade blackened (6) SEARED [main=SEA + shade=RED]
DOWN
1 Brave to do it before engagement (3,5) WAR DANCE [CD]
2 Artist in some compound (4,4) SODA LIME [artist=DALI inside SOME]
3 Protocol — is Chief Engineer finding it difficult to pick one? (6,3,6) SPOILT FOR CHOICE [PROTOCOL IS CHIEF]*
5 Witches caught out in a hot place (4) OVEN [witches=cOVEN]
6 Use charm for daily use (7,8) SERVICE ENTRANCE [use=SERVICE + charm=ENTRANCE]
7 Sarcastic? It's somewhat unfair on Icelanders (6) IRONIC [T]
8 Look at the bird (6) GANDER [DD]
11 Bloomer starts with your letter in the paper (3,4) DAY LILY [paper=DAILY outside Your Letter]
14 Will choke if cop is allowed to come up (7) CODICIL?
16 A primate goes bananas protecting the brain (3,5) PIA MATER [A PRIMATE]*
17 Married over the years, looked too trusting (4-4) DEWY-EYED [married=WED<- + Years + looked=EYED]
19 Assurance by doctor after a quiet look (6) APLOMB [A + quiet=P + look=LO + doctor=MB]
20 From father to son, all in ecstasy perhaps (6) LINEAL [ALL IN Ecstasy]*
23 Hostile intrusion in the meantime (4) ANTI [T]
Personally I found it tough going today
ReplyDeleteMy take on 14D {CO{DIC<=}IL}
Contract = No Trumps = NT in 24A
Thanks Colonel
DeleteCouple of annotations straight from the source:
ReplyDelete10A: Have= own. Some hair= beard ( on top of own)
18A: Brill= fish one= an can= tin drowned in= cont. ind say= that is or ie
Another one this time:
Delete21A is P (port) + LIGHT (ray)
I hadn't come across P for port before.
Tough one. Esp the CDs. Is the anagrind 'engineer' correctly placed following the fodder (or should it have been preceding) in 3d? What's role of 'if' in CODICIL?
ReplyDeleteIMO,Codicil is actually a supplement or addendum to a will, not the will itself. Checked up with Chambers also.
ReplyDeleteYour contention is absolutely correct, Com. Padmanabhan. Where there is a will, there may be a codicil. But a codicil with no will standing over it is inchoate. But, yes, a codicil does indicate the (changed) will of the testator.
DeleteMy My! Am I confused! What is the codicil of your will (read- statement, not testament)
DeleteCV, your yesterday's query on the apo was answered there later in the evening. I was away at a Horti show.
ReplyDeleteI had to read the comments twice to get the gist of what you guys were talking about. 'Apo' and 'ace servers'!
DeleteBut I thought that server was Goan?
DeleteNot Goran?
DeleteNot Ivanisevic, but Leander Paes, who I thought was from Goa.
DeleteCom. Raghu,
DeletePaes is of Goan origin. I did not say he was Manglorean. Pai and Pais are Manglorean surnames. All three are Konkani, though I am not sure if L paes, having been born and brought up in Kolkata, is coversant with the language.
Sorry, I thought you did. Since when have we been turned Red?
ReplyDeleteSpillover from another forum where I was discussing Psmith
DeleteHe 'Red'dned me too- Leave it to Psmith!
DeleteI did not tar you with the same brush, I just reddened you with the same blush. R, you are in honoured company of P.
DeleteI found this a tough one today, and finally had to leave out the DAY bit from LILY because I just couldn't get it. Enjoyed it thoroughly, though - thank you, Arden, and to Bhavan for the blog!
ReplyDeleteI parsed 10a as Bhavan originally did, and - even though the setter seems to have intended something else - I still think that's the better parsing!