No 14558, Friday 08 Aug 2025, Vidwan

Rangoli by Gowri

RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS FOR FRIDAY ONLY

All those who are not regular commenters but who are rookie commenters or silent followers of the blog are requested to post answers with annotations in the comments section. In your own interest please avoid looking up the answers from the interactive version. Don't hesitate to post your annotations, in case you make a mistake in the annotation someone will correct it with the right annotation.

PLEASE NOTE, SOLUTIONS WITHOUT ATTEMPTING THE ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED

Each commenter is requested to post only 5 answers thereby giving others also a chance to participate. Please provide all your answers in one comment.

Regular solvers/Veterans can post 1 answer each, but after 11 AM only.

ACROSS

9   Champion Scot with old fashioned values (9)

10 Flow controller setting volume for uniform rate (5)

11 Old soldier positively welcomes work after retiring (5)

12 Boredom - passing university, appearing in test once in three years (9)

13 Where venting of lava can abruptly, naturally occur at first? (7)

14 Avoid or ban it as fashion! (7)

16 Screen for Luigi Groto? (8,5)

21 For instance, Vatican City board, could be overbalanced (7)

24 Turned away in time! Run out declared! (7)

25 Millions welcome faceless cons and rebels (9)

27 Old Nick settled on a number (5)

28 Heart of antelope and a bovid (5)

29 Atypical mad don (3,3,3)

DOWN

1   Deceptive first lady had visa rejected (7)

2   Paul aces, swinging shoulder bones (8)

3   Arab comedy about a police contraption (4,6)

4   Six run outs disoriented India Masters (8)

5   Active, new force of volunteers has provided a far-left movement (6)

6   Range in Slovenia (4)

7   What is brew in Hebrew is same as tin in Latin! (6)

8   Disguising and arousing evil in good (7)

15 Most versatile works leading to right medal in US Army (6,4)

17 One flank of vehicle floating in Red Sea (8)

18 Scratch vote turning into record (8)

19 Misguidedly revere male painter from Holland (7)

20 Love to present dragonfly, say (7)

22 Limed, salted eggs prepared for Vice Admiral (6)

23 English Supreme Court's line on conditional security bond (6)

26 Bit bored of working again (4)

No 14557, Thursday 07 Aug 2025, Gridzilla

Welcome to the new THC setter Gridzilla. Bouquets and brickbats welcome.

Solution to 2D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance. 

Open for anyone to solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

8   Facts twisted a bit? (4) DATA {A}{TAD}<=

9   Order lunch perhaps, including starter of dumplings (5) MEDAL {ME{Du...s}AL}

10 Grass is basically recreational - enjoy every drag (4) REED Acrostic

11 Part of mixed fraction having one number missing? (6) FACTOR FRACTiOn* 

12 Discovered best hotel - pricy, and private (8) ESOTERIC {bESt}{hOTEl}{pRICy}

13 They have hopes of getting peace initially, in rocky sierras (8) ASPIRERS {AS{Pe..e}IRERS*}

15 Nymphs love to look at butt of Adonis (6) OREADS {0}{READ}{a...iS}

17 Manipulation of American company by Indian state, is over (7) MASSAGE {GE}<=>{ASSAM<=}

19 Boss went out with wife and apprentice (7) STUDENT {STUD}{wENT}

22 Remove wrapping of fuse & cables to get current (6) USABLE {fUSe}{cABLEs}

24 Like canines in Manhattan need - meals mostly cooked (8) ENAMELED {NEED+MEALs}* What's the role of Manhattan? Ok, Manhattan is indicator for US Spelling

26 Bar owner is drunk all day and not active (8) LANDLADY {ALL+DAY+aND}

28 Plan of cycling team: winning competition ultimately (6) DESIGN {(+de)DESI(-de)}{w...nG}{c...oN}

30 First of all, men actually like erotic sex (4) MALE Acrostic

31 Big lake? Sounds scary (5) EERIE (~erie)

32 Report is from Sweden possibly - not Germany (4) NEWS SWEdeN*

DOWN

1   Hot stuff turning up in Lonavala (4) LAVA [T<=]

2   "Mark goes," says Spooner, "to get some baked goodies" (8) ?A?T?I?S (Addendum PASTRIES (~trace pees to pastries - See comments))

3   Fine cream whipped with a little egg (6) AMERCE {CREAM*}{Egg}

4   Marketing jingle is bad (6) (7) ADVERSE {AD}{VERSE} See comments regarding Enu

5   Remove from below? (5,3) ELBOW OUT {BELOW}* [RA]

6   Country has oil, reportedly (6) GREECE (~grease)

7   Cheese seller made Limburger sandwiches (4) DELI [T]

14 Cracks seen after reviewing bridges (5) SNAPS<=

16 What starts in discos and night clubs everywhere? (5) DANCE Acrostic Semi&lit

18 Renegades managed to deliver ecstasy and explosives (8) GRENADES ReNEGADES*

20 & 29 A robe Gwen & Doris used repeatedly (8,4) DRESSING GOWN {GWEN+DORIS}* Letter Bank

21 From work, Roy went around the city (3,4) NEW YORK [T<=]

23 Huge debt is hurting this economy, eh? (6) BUDGET {BUDGET+EH}* = {HUGE DEBT} [CA]

25 Pulled top off, getting confused (6) ADDLED pADDLED

27 Horse in fair maybe overlooked periodically (4) ARAB {fAiR+mAyBe}

29 See 20D

Reference List

Number = N, Wife = W, Active = A, Germany = DE, Marketing = AD, Ecstasy = E