Tuesday 17 September 2024

No 14282, Tuesday 17 Sep 2024, Afterdark

Artwork by Prasanna for Vishwakarma day
Solution to 23D 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 answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS
1   Say, diamond prices to US, one had to recalibrate (8,5) PRECIOUS STONE {PRICES+TO+US+ONE}*
10 Reject original sound track, one should primarily enter contest (9) OSTRACISE {Or...l}{So..d}{Tr..k}{RAC{1}{Sh...d}E}
11 Expression of approval from supporter, very outstanding basically (5) BRAVO {BRA}{Very}{Ou...g}
12 Triple compound of nitre... (5) TRINE*
13 ...say, found on border, towards US (9) STATESIDE {STATE}{SIDE}
14 Labours seen at corner have starter of soup (6) SWEATS {SW}{EAT}{Soup}
16 Counter provided some nachos, apples, oranges in the last-minute (5) FINAL {IF<=}{Na...s}{Ap...s}L L from?
19 Former NZ cricketer is a rabbit (5) CONEY [DD]
20 Seaming wicket in first ground behind South End primarily (6) SEWING {W}{IN}{Gr...d}<=>{S}{End}
25 Unusual manual, so First Officer's confounded (9) ANOMALOUS {MANUAL+SO+Of...r}*
26 Country special in a mess (5) SPAIN {SP}{IN+A}*
27 Plant in garden placed behind electricity meter (5) EMBED {BED}<=>{E}{M}
28 Pastor Frost at stage between 8 pm and 10 pm IST (5,4) PRIME TIME {P}{RIME}{TIME}
29 Kindly suggest new heater to be given to daughter (13) TENDERHEARTED {TENDER}{HEATER*}{D}

DOWN
2   Say, advance for shopkeeper to issue 50 for note (8) RETAINER RETAI(-l+n)NER
3   Primarily cringe-worthy, destroy trend (5) CRAZE {Cr...y}{RAZE}
4   Say, windows in old town-house (vacated) is redundant (6) OTIOSE {IOS} in {O}{To...sE}
5   Outline track is incomplete near a city, say (8) SCENARIO {SCENt}{A}{RIO}
6   Mixed water, ale and some bourbon in the dishes (9) TABLEWARE {WATER+ALE+Bo...n}*
7   Initially not interested in procuring AC in compound (6) NIACIN {Not}{In...d}{AC}{IN}{
8   Unborn child be enemy to US ? No nothing. (6) FOETUS {FOE}{To}{US}
9   King of Rajasthan employed ambitious leaders from a peninsular region in Asia (5) KOREA  Acrostic
15 For a change, wanted HOD who's ambidextrous (3-6) TWO-HANDED*
17 Erratic bowler without power, amateur, worse than expected (5,3) BELOW PAR {BOWLER}*{ over {P}{A}
18 OK to hire the greatest singer first and settle (8) FINALISE {FIN{ALI}{Si...r}E}
21 A bird is seen with princess during good times (6) GANNET {ANNE} in {G}{T}
22 Alter? Alter afterwards (5) LATER*
23 Possible to replace one with unionist as substitute (6) ?O?B?E (Addendum - DOUBLE DO(-a+u)UBLE - See comments)
24 Dream like prince having passion (6) ASPIRE {AS}{P}{IRE}
26 Sweden's Ministry of External Affairs rule is a slander (5) SMEAR {S}{MEA}{R}

Reference List
Supporter = BRA, Very = V, Wicket = W, South = S, Electricity = E, Meter = M, Pastor = P, Daughter = D, 50 = L, Note = N, Old = O, Power = P, Amateur = A, Greatest = ALI, Good = G, Times = T, Unionist = U, Prince = P, Sweden = S, Rule = R

Monday 16 September 2024

No 14281, Monday 16 Sep 2024, Afterdark

Solution to 6A 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 answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS
1   Vehicle reverses on street at a circle, basically near a small powerhouse (10) SUBSTATION {BUS<=}{ST}{AT}{1}{O}{Near}
6   Girl at a US city takes a ship (4) ?A?S (Addendum - LASS {LA}{SS} - See comments)
10 Registration made with specialist for admission of rabbi and aged people without 500 (9) ENROLMENT {EN{R}{OLd MEN}T}
11 Mark found in Insta intermittently (5) STAIN [T]
12 With Delhi, Thane too served English dish (4-2-3-4) TOAD IN THE HOLE {DELHI+THANE+TOO}*
14 Grasped new gun after corps left (5) CLUNG {GUN}*<=>{C}{L} Corps/C?
15 Let off former lover, one using speed (9) EXONERATE {EX}{ONE}{RATE}
17 Thracian gladiator to wrestle with wild cat at America (9) SPARTACUS {SPAR}{CAT*}{US}
21 Bring the foot down slowly, tread on mat, prostrate in the front (5) STOMP Acrostic
22 Aunt roasting some lamb, gets burned leading to suffocation (13) STRANGULATION {AUNT+ROASTING+Lamb}*
24 A German had a gemstone (5) AGATE {A}{G}{ATE}
25 Smoking nicotine around hospital puts one precariously close to trouble (2,4,3) ON THIN ICE {NICOTINE}* over {H}
26 A piece of satin or same type of fabric (4) SILK {Sa..n}{ILK}
27 Persistent and aggressive sellers hound a specialist (10) RELENTLESS {REL{ENT}LESS*}

DOWN
1   Ice mixed with some cocaine? PT miss has doubt (10) SCEPTICISM {ICE+C+PT+MISS}*
2   Predatory man seen in pub, Dracula lacking love, is drunk (9) BARRACUDA {BAR}{DRACUlA}*
3   Powerful, legendary archer in Germany (7) TELLING {TELL}{IN}{G}
4   Article on a tree abridged at the stage (7) THEATRE {THE}{A}{TREe
5   One then got tails cut working constantly (2,3,2) ON THE GO {ONe}{THEn}{GOt}
7   Observant king replaced by another and nothing changes (5) AWARE AWA(-r+k}E
8   Chant for good after lapse (4) SING {G}<=>{SIN}
9   As an animal loses the first step on land... (6) ASHORE {AS}{HORsE}
13 ...unarmed Pole was confused and received a few directions (10) WEAPONLESS {POLE+WAS}*over {N}{E}{S}
16 Heartless. Hate police officer in England; original inhabitant (9) ABORIGINE {ABhOR}{IG}{IN}{E}
18 Lathe operator in a bad pitch (6) TURNER [DD]
19 Hint at criminal's message (7) CONNOTE {CON}{NOTE}
20 Travel stop, having tea, in conversation with the French (7) SHUTTLE {SHUT}{(~tea)T}{LE}
21 Triages conducted at island, perhaps (7) SEAGIRT*
22 A sluggish person uncovers cycling (5) SNAIL (+s)SNAIL(-s)
23 Service the crowd (4) MASS [DD]

Reference List
Street = ST, Ship = SS, Specialist = ENT, Rabbi = R, 500 = D, Corps = C, Left = L, German = G, Hospital = H, Cocaine = C, Love = L, Germany = G, King = K,R, Good = G, England = E, The in French = LE