Special, Sunday 31 May 2026, K Koteswar Rao

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Enjoy.

The Hindu Cryptic on Sunday No 58, Sunday 31 May 2026, Gussalufz

Three answers per commenter till 4 PM (Annotations compulsory) 

Please submit all your answers in one comment.  

(COMMENTS ENTERED WITH LESS THAN THREE ANSWERS/ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED WITHOUT NOTICE, UNLESS THE COMMENTER SPECIFIES THAT IT IS A COMPENSATION FOR A REPEAT)

2 X 16

Thanks for the response, here's the regular blog.

ACROSS

9   Herb tea with spies breaking double agent (9) CHAMOMILE {CHA}{MO{MI}LE}

10 In the morning, milk please (5) AMUSE {AM}{USE}

11 They chop legs, go berserk arresting—right? (7) LOGGERS {LEGS+GO}* over {R}

12 Nothing about finest American army character? (7) OCTOPUS {O}{C}{TOP}{US} 

13 Trunk calls finally going through to Romania (5) TORSO {callS} in {TO}{RO}

14 Batter's strategy: turn hand, deftly clipping one (3-3-3) HIT-AND-RUN {TURN+HAND}* over {1}

16 Artist going ahead sans wife (post-retirement party), boarding shortly, departing from Ivory Coast (8,2,5) LEONARDO DA VINCI {ONwARD}{DO<=} in {LEAVINg}{CI}

19 Spray fizzy blue sticky stuff around and around (9) NEBULISER {BLUE*} in {RESIN<=}

22 Giant beast regularly seen in tourist destinations (5) GATES {GiAnT+bEaSt}

24 Mug delivered comfort (7) SUCCOUR (~sucker)

26 Champion bandages strained back to get going (7) ACTUATE {AC{TAUT<=}E}

27 Almost without question, ultimately primitive (5) EARLY nEARLY

28 Talk fondly about politician—nationalist steeped in revolutionary X factor (9) COMPONENT {CO{MP}O}{T{N}EN<=}

DOWN

1   Model clad at the top in extra revolting shirt (6) SCULPT {PLU{Clad}S<=}{T}

2   Joey's mum cooked Goan okra (8) KANGAROO*

3   "Busy?" "Negative; routine overtime pain" (4,2,4) NOSE TO TAIL {NO}{SET}{OT}{AIL}

4   Some think it's cheap art (6) KITSCH [T]

5   Returning to chaps beaten in love (8) BESOTTED {BES{TO<=}TED}

6   Terminal transformation that converts a male into a mate? (4) LAST {L as T} 

7   Extremely bored by quiet meal (6) SUPPER {SU{P}PER}

8   A lot of brothels in Kiev city (8) HELSINKI [T]

15 Winning title, terrible tsar rejected guidance (10) NAVIGATION {NO 1}{TAG}{IVAN}<=}

16 After digestion, meaningless to avoid blasting gas: court judges (8) LINESMEN {MEaNINgLEsS}*

17 Underworld's grand rivalry creating scandal (8) DISGRACE {DIS}{G}{RACE}

18 Admitting shell shock over weirdos (8) NUTCASES {CASE} in {STUN<=}

20 Rhombic or noodle-shaped boxing headgear (6) BICORN [T]

21 Charity supporting religious education zones (6) REALMS {ALMS}<=>{RE}

23 Yes, women at dances like your gym body (6) SWEATY {YES+W+AT}*

25 After shedding pounds, just ten stone (4) ONYX {ONlY}{X}

 

Reference List

Spies = MI, Double agent = MOLE, Right = R, About = C, Wife = W, Nationalist = N, Shirt = T, Overtime = OT, Quiet = P, Underworld = DIS, Grand = G, Religious education = RE, Womwn = W, Pounds = L