Oh boy! Today is a tough one and I don't mean the starred clues which were easy after Hamlet fell. Lots of blanks
Note: The starred clues carry no direct definition, but they are all from the same pen.
ACROSS
1 - Palm greased, when enveloped in darkness, with soot (4-5) - LAMP* BLACK
6 - Concluding operation (3-2) - MOP UP [CD]
9 - Embryo bags found with molybdenum extracted from a fertilizer (5) - AM(-mo)NIA
10 - Organ container in hideout returned for packing? Not good! (4-5) - RI{NG} {CAN}AL<- )
11, 19Ac - *Half-witted doctor declines aid from the vocal bishop’s neighbour (7,5) - TWELFTH*(-aid) NIGHT(~knight)
12 - *Overturned tree pictured in headgear (6) - HA{MLE<-}T
14 See 6 Dn
15 - Tipped about the silent cover up of a corn growth (9) - MU{CRONA*}TE
17 - Accountant imprisoned in air-base attacked by beetles (9) - S{CA}RABAEI*
19 - See 11 Ac
20 - Clearing attempt with a right to expel the Yankee (6) - ASSA(-y+rt)RT (Thanks to Chaturvasi)
22 - An understanding teen foolishly pockets what’s left around (7) - EN{TEN<-}TE*
24 - Not joking purposefully (2,7) - IS SERIOUS [CD] (Correction IN EARNEST)
25 - India idolises the showing of Japanese martial art (3-2) - IAI-DO
26 - Treehouses? (5) - NESTS [CD]
27 - Very devout priest and soldier are taken in by the showy flower (9) - R{ELI}{GI}OSE
DOWN
1 - Individual in audition has an interpretation for calque (4,11) - LOAN(~lone) TRANSLATION
2 - Nominates revolutionary to the State (9) - MINNESOTA*
3 - Boyfriend paid honour to the departing editor with an antique cupboard (7) - {BEAU}{FET}(-ed)
4 - Old English beggar, sailor and artist get meat from the valet (7-3) - {AB}{RA}{HAM} MAN
5, 23Dn - *Work area hides a fireplace inside (4,4) - KING JOHN (Correction - K{ING LE}AR )
6, 14Ac, 19Dn - *Adhesive from the south put around a tooth chain bound by mistake (4,3,5,7) - MU{CH ADO ABOUT NOTHIN*}G <- )
7 - Team sheet (5) - PANEL [DD]
8 - A tall claim’s rejoinder? (4,3,5,3) - PLAY THE STORY OUT [CD] ? (PULL THE OTHER ONE [CD] - From comments of Ganesh)
13 - Unplanned stress for Capone when besieging Idaho (10) - (Addendum - ACC{ID}ENT{AL})
16 - Money needed for renovating building after Victor drops out (9) - ARGENTINO*(-v)
18 - Run out, framed by haloes, to see the sky lights (7) - AU{R}{O}RAS
19 - See 6 Dn
21 - Birds from Moroccan capital for the model cooks (5) - S(-t+m)MEWS (Thanks to Ganesh from the HUB)
23 - See 5 Dn
Definitely not one of Neyartha's better works.
ReplyDeleteSome of my solutions differ from yours:
5, 23Dn - *Work area hides a fireplace inside (4,4) -
K{ING LE}AR [T]
8 - A tall claim’s rejoinder? (4,3,5,3) -
PULL THE OTHER ONE [CD] -- I think this can only be got from the crossings. Not a very good clue by any means.
Also, 24 - Not joking purposefully (2,7) - IS SERIOUS [CD] could be IN EARNEST, I think
ReplyDeleteGanesh,
ReplyDeleteYou are right.
10A is RING CANAL
How is work = K
ReplyDeleteIs AR a legitimate abbr. for area?
5, 23Dn - *Work area hides a fireplace inside (4,4) -
ReplyDeleteK{ING LE}AR [T]
I think expected anno is as below:
Work area : Telescopic fodder
hides : Telescopic Indicator
This gives KAR from 'worK ARea'
a : Connector
fireplace : INGLE
inside : Embedded / Container indicator
INGLE inside KAR gives : K{ING LE}AR
A combination of telescopic with some other clue type is pretty rare (at least in TH), I think.
27 A is R{ELI}{GI}OSE
ReplyDelete13D - ACC{ID}ENT{AL}
ReplyDelete22a - EN{TEN<-}TE*
ReplyDelete16D - ARGENTINO* (renovating - v)
ReplyDeleteI still don't understand how one can be expected to get KAR from 'work area' when there is no def for 'kar'.
ReplyDeleteAs per your anno, there is telescopic fodder, telescopic ind. Are these alone sufficeint to cull out KAR?
BTW, such a combination clue (hidden + charade) has been used at least once before in THC but I am unable to trace it out now.
Off for breakfast
ReplyDeleteI suppose it has to be reverse engineered being a Starred clue, and as Ganesh mentioned, this is not one of Neyartha's better works
ReplyDeleteAny solutions for 20A and 21D?
ReplyDelete21D SMEWS
ReplyDeleteTake cooks STEWS
Substitute Moroccan capital M
for
the model - T
To add to difficulty, cooks is noun in surface reading but a verb in wordplay
20ac too is a substitution clue.
ReplyDeleteClearing
attempt - ASSAY
with a
right - RT (standard, dict-supported abbr for right, just as R is)
to expel the
Yankee - Y (standard, dict-supported abbr for Yankee)
So the soln is ASSART
Now what is the def?
Clearing
To be more detailed, assart is a forest clearing
To add to difficulty, clearing is a verb in surface reading but a noun as a def for word req'd.
Neyartha's clues are mind-benders but we can't find fault with wordplay, grammatical structure, cryptic reading, whatever.
Maybe after the puz is done (if at all) you need to take a deep breath.
Yes, I can take a deep breath now and go about the rest of my work for the day
ReplyDelete22 - An understanding teen foolishly pockets what’s left around (7) - EN{TEN<-}TE*
ReplyDeleteCol,
What's the anno for TEN<-?
Raghunath,
ReplyDeleteNET is from 'what's left', like NET PROFIT, with around being the reversal indicator
*Half-witted doctor declines aid from the vocal bishop’s neighbour (7,5) - TWELFTH*(-aid) NIGHT(~knight)
ReplyDeleteIs vocal the homophone ind? And Bishop's neighbour = Knight?
Raghunath,
ReplyDeleteYes to both.
Maybe hard, but surface reading of the clue is very good!
And Bishop's neighbour = Knight, on the Chessboard?
ReplyDelete