The Hindu Cryptic on Sunday No 57, Sunday 24 May 2026, Incognito

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ACROSS

1   Friend confirms as true and talks (8) PALAVERS {PAL}{AVERS}

5   Churchman tense, perhaps, taking gold (6) PASTOR {PAST}{OR}

10 Eva is chaperoned to some extent (5) PERON [HIPS]

11 Toy Papa put down before nightshift (9) PLAYTHING {P}{LAY}{NIGHT*}

12 Poetry collection includes old names (6) SONNET {S{O}{N}{N}ET}

13 Legendary land at end of tunnel is giving shelter to soldier (8) ATLANTIS {AT}{t...eL}{IS} over {ANT}

15 President's joke about sex appeal backfired (5) PUTIN {PU{IT<=}N}

17 Equine sounds by boy, our next door resident (9) NEIGHBOUR {NEIGH}{B}{OUR}

19 Something said to wish luck to an actor, but perhaps not to a dancer (5,1,3) BREAK A LEG [CD]

20 Lowest point for king (5) NADIR [DD]

21 Mom's diet can be bold (8) IMMODEST*

23 Cutting loafs and putting in a bit of fresh variety meats (6) OFFALS {OF{Fr..h}ALS*}

27 Making speed, consumes gin cocktail around 10 (9) HASTENING {HAS}{GIN*} over {TEN}

28 Afterwards, large rat having energy jumped (5) LATER {L}{RAT+E}*

29 Most coy literary moneylender loses security device near estate (6) SHYEST {SHYlock}{EST}

30 Right drain remodelled by Ohio physicist at first to get a bit of liquid precipitation? (8) RAINDROP {R}{DRAIN*}{Ohio}{Ph...t}

DOWN

1   Things Sherlock Holmes had used by plumbers (5) PIPES [DD]

2   Gentler to adjust eyeglasses (9) LORGNETTE* 

3   VP's vehicle is in front of church (5) VANCE {VAN}{CE}

4   Some peri-peri peppers may be ready to eat (4) RIPE [T]

6   Confusing a star, Khan produces lambskin with curled wool (9) ASTRAKHAN {A+STAR}*{KHAN}

7   What Oliver may do with someone's arm? (5) TWIST [C&DD]

8   Hospital employee? May be a government officer... (9) REGISTRAR [DD]

9   Separate long and narrow elevation for bird (9) PARTRIDGE {PART}{RIDGE}

14 A client is strangely rigid (9) INELASTIC*

15 Proclaims: "Bar that lady in large part of isle" (9) PUBLISHES {PUB}{L}{I{SHE}Sle}

16 Sends Ken a design showing nudity (9) NAKEDNESS*

18 Skilled painter of yore turned almost red (3,6) OLD MASTER*

22 Cluttered eating place at yard (5) MESSY {MESS}{Y}

24 Fighter joins Musk to manufacture Su-57 for NATO (5) FELON {F}{ELON}

25 Belt parts recycled (5) STRAP*

26 Alcoholics Anonymous covers Greek city (4) AGRA {A{GR}A}

Reference List

Gold = OR, Papa = P, Old = O, Name = N, Boy = B, Large = L, Energy = E, Right = R, Church = CE, Yard = Y, Fighter = F

No 14801, Saturday 23 May 2026, Saral

 ACROSS
7 Coach crossing borders of Ecuador landscape (7) TERRAIN {T{EcuadoR}RAIN}
8 Land for cultivation almost lay bare, abandoned (6) ARABLE {LAy BARE}*
9 Pound meat, mostly simple (6) HAMMER {HAM}{MERe}
10 Enthusiastic joker, say is an unexpected entrant (8) WILDCARD {WILD}{CARD}
11 Think new ad stunned producer in the end (10) UNDERSTAND {AD STUNNED produceR}*
13 Vent in yard somewhat small (4) TINY [T]
14 Originally artistic, perfectly styled ecclesiastical (4) APSE [Acrostic] & Lit

16 Bill controlling instrument's opening sound (5) NOISE {NO{Instrument}SE}
18 Wine in plastic (4) ASTI [HIPS]

19 Traces of shimmering mist outside garage pollution (4) SMOG [Acrostic]
21 Improve finally female, male ratio somehow (10) AMELIORATE {femalE MALE RATIO}*
23 Quiet again possibly outside hotel in city (8) SHANGHAI {SH}+{AGAIN}* outside {H}
25 Escape from leader leaving retreat (6) EGRESS {rEGRESS}
26 Finish shift around noon online (6) VENEER {VEER} around {N}{E}
27 Devilish convict suppressing leaders of undertrial cellmates (7) LUCIFER {LIFER} around {Undertrial}{Cellmates}

DOWN

1 To begin with play two notes before debut (8) PREMIERE {Play}{RE}{MI}{ERE}
2 Ford, perhaps covering head, tailing German troops (8) GARRISON {hARRISON}<=>{G}
3 Blizzard? Initially shovel right away (4) SNOW {Shovel}{NOW}
4 A daughter following dance and song (6) BALLAD {A}{D}<=>{BALL}
5 Post describing company symbol (6) MASCOT {MAS{CO}T}

6 Drink consuming smart music maker (8) CLARINET {CLAR{IN}ET}

7 Mark, say in wagon behind bar (5) TWAIN {WAIN}<=>{T}

12 Amateur moaned aloud? Secretly! (5) ASIDE {A}{SIDE}(~SIGHED)
15 Maybe help a politician with essentially voter notice (8) PAMPHLET {HELP A MP}*{voTer}
17 Proof from new church supporting first lady having papers (8) EVIDENCE {N}{CE}<=>{EV{ID}E}
18 Flier in A-one barge carrying empty car (8) AIRCRAFT {A1}{RAFT} around {CaR}
20 Friend in gang occasionally wheeling goose (6) GANDER {fRiEnD iN gAnG}<
21 Join a discussion from the beginning in this place (6) ADHERE {A}{Discussion}{HERE}
22 Spot a sergeant holding weapon (5) TASER [T]

24 Jobless International director left capital of Europe (4) IDLE {I}{D}{L}{Europe}

REFERENCE LIST

Quiet=Sh, Hotel=H, Noon=N, Online=E, Notes=RE and MI, German=G, Daughter=D, Company=CO, Smart=In, Amateur=A, Politician=MP, New=N, Church=CE, Papers=ID, International=I, Director=D, Left=L.