The Hindu Cryptic on Sunday No 54, Sunday 03 May 2026, Vidwan

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ACROSS

9   Listen in, the first lady has a small mention (9)

10 Go on about English being meanest (5)

11 Cry about adopting India colour (5)

12 Fool hosting a short form of artistic work/period drama on TV (4,5)

13 So return could be sponsored (7)

15 Good and right to take responsibility as adult (7)

17 I've innocence! No convoluted nuisance! (13)

21 Perhaps only chap relinquishing power to become happy (7)

22 Scoring century in gentleman's game and yet a bit shaky (7)

23 Local clubs McCartney regularly goes to dehydrate (9)

25 Stir fear over fine (5)

27 Cause devastation with clubs discarded by amateur (5)

28 Fan crossing line to watch engaging royal consume grass in excess (9)

DOWN

1   Cryptic callers' crypts (7)

2   Oddly you've a large cricket ground (4)

3   Go back into shop coyly, perhaps for study of personality (10)

4   A forced kind of despair (6)

5   Small request by German peacekeepers for painting tool (5,3)

6   Drop of olive oil used for Spanish style stew (4)

7   Temple spread included pickled crane (10)

8   Gifts back case of peltry with belts (7)

14 Wildebeests upset by girls' shades (10)

16 Say O+ve strain (10)

18 Ex-Indian cricketer taking kid around to find a Goan delicacy (8)

19 Dark had replaced northern cold (7)

20 Latin apple stones, perhaps for tennis player (7)

22 Point about English sailor's coat (6)

24 Bakery item about to make bar millons (4)

26 Short Indian PM from south state (4)

No 14783, Saturday 02 May 2026, Incognito

 ACROSS
8 A student leaves Salem, India in a type of truck (4) SEMI {SalEM}{I}

9 Thai travels around one Caribbean country (5) HAITI {THAI}* around {I}

10 Lake that is next to latter part of river (4) ERIE {IE}<=>{rivER}
11 9 flying around model island (6) TAHITI {HAITI}* around {T}

12 Serpent from broken down tipper encircles 6 (3,5) PIT VIPER {TIPPER}* around {VI}
13 Direct, //"Nothing to be added to drink"(8) STRAIGHT [DD]
15 Confused, Greta follows team leader's goal (6) TARGET {GRETA*}<=>{Team}
17 State: "Mona hugs Brown" (7) MONTANA {MON{TAN}A}
19 Facial expression from stern and highly successful fighter pilot (7) GRIMACE {GRIM}{ACE}
22 Rose // climbed (4,2) WENT UP [DD]
24 On secret agents having temperature in breaks (8) RESPITES {RE}{SPI{T}ES}
26 Indian make up?(3,5) WAR PAINT [CD]

28 Adds, "Kid is no longer asleep" (4,2) TOTS UP {TOT'S}{UP}
30 Arabic leader's French friend is at end of pier (4) AMIR {AMI}{pieR}
31 Ship //  some tailoring material (5) LINER [DD]
32 Stagger // in // short video (4) REEL [DD]

DOWN
1 Wrongly gave a star (4) VEGA*

2 Watchful soldier initially living wildly after losing bearing(8) VIGILANT {ANT}<=>{LIVInG}*
3 Drawing back, throw gin cocktail (6) SHYING {SHY}{GIN*}
4 Argument from princess? Terribly upset! (7) DISPUTE {DI}{UPSET*}
5 Perhaps what Hitler's steno called him? (8) DICTATOR [CD]
6 Spanish gentleman hugging setter is an old person (6) SENIOR {SEN{I}OR}
7 Take on rent in Sitamarhi region (4) HIRE [T]
14 Them having a type of shirt and hosiery item (5) THOSE {T}{HOSE}
16 Dash, perhaps, in front of church with English host of a ceremony (5) EMCEE {EM}{CE}{E}
18 I stun pal dancing for weddings (8) NUPTIALS*
20 Wetness from our items going bad (8) MOISTURE*
21 Act before nurse (7) PRETEND {PRE}{TEND}
23 Animals from Paris round about appearing after tea, I hear (6) TAPIRS {PARIS*}<=>{T}(~TEA)

25 God took seat on pot(6) SATURN {SAT}{URN}

27 Top class manuscript ends (4) AIMS {AI}{MS}
29 Consumed and sued wrongly (4) USED*

REFERENCE LIST

Student=L, One=I, That is=ie (id est), Model=T, Six=VI, On=Re, Temperature=T, Bearing= N (North) , Setter=I, Dash=Em, Church=CE, English=E, Top Class=AI, Manuscript=MS.