ACROSS
1 - Stake found by hollow containing engineers earlier (10) - {ANTE}{CE}{DENT}
6 - Butter up a biscuit (4) - FAWN [DD] The last to fall, good clue
9 - They are not big and they are not long (7) - MINUTES [DD]
10 - A cop wrapped child taken out in warm garment (7) - TO{PCOA*}T
12 - Conversely this is the time when traffic is at its lowest (4,4) - RUSH TIME ? [CD] (Addendum - HUSH HOUR [CD]- Thanks to Jotter)
13 - Have Queen as the property holder (5) - {OWN}{ER}
15 - Leaves no dues on either side (5) - EVENS [CD]
17 - Teams awarded points during tea break (9) - {ELEVENS}{ES}
19 - A person considering a road safety device (9) - REFLECTOR [DD]
21 - New point to rest as latter part is harsh (5) - STER*{N}
23 - Fish taken out is right back in fresh water (5) - {TR<-}{OUT}
24 - Ability to cover a large town (8) - {CAP}{A}{CITY}
27 - An inn to rest, made out for graduate students (7) - INTERNS*
28 - Ignorant about French (7) - UNAWARE Anno pending
29 - Terminates action (4) - ENDS [E]
30 - Guy the agent is a lawbreaker (10) - {MALE}{FACTOR}
DOWN
1 - Calms headless poor with free distribution of food and money (4) - (-c)ALMS
2 - Not ordering a certain cut (7) - {TON*}{SURE}
3 - Discover unexpectedly Tom at the church (5) - CAT{CH}
4 - Crooked underworld boss puts on edge with time (9) - {DIS}{SIDE}N{T} Origin of N not clear (Addendum - {DIS}{HONES}{T} - Thanks to Jotter see his comments below)
5 - Time to rein its use, as fertilizer (5) - NI{T}RE* (Addendum - NI{T}ER*)
7 - Tied in because it runs rampant (7) - A{BOUND}S
8 - Clearly payment will be demanded if absent (3,7) - NOT PRESENT Anno pending
11 - Quiet pairs of lapwings (7) - {P}{LOVERS}
14 - Concealed anger about a writing desk (10) - {SECRET}{A}{IRE}
16 - Let her take proper protection in a mountain cave (7) - S{HELTER*} S from ?
18 - Cunningly put nearer entrance (9) - ENRAPTURE*
20 - Fled out when treated with contempt (7) - FLOUTED*
22 - Draw out what should be a short passage (7) - EXTRACT [DD]
24 - Price to that which resembles a rib (5) - {COST}A
25 - Many mistake Lara for her (5) - {C}LARA
26 - Drop and damage (4) - TEAR [DD]
GRID
I had 4D as dishonest = DIS + HONES + T
ReplyDeleteAnd 12 A as "Hush hour" a play on Rush Hour.
Crooked = dishonest?
Although I am not sure about the DIS = underworld boss.
Would this work?
A corollary to this would have 5D as NITER instead of NITRE, which I checked and it seems acceptable.
ReplyDeleteLet her take proper protection in a mountain cave (7)
ReplyDeleteI think this should be
Lets her take proper protection in a mountain cave (7)
Aren't there similar careless mistakes.
I guess this compiler (can't say 'composer')writes clues and asks their secretary to type out from the manuscript and leaves everything else such as printing out and despatching to the other person. If the compiler would only look at the printed crossword that they prepare, they would realise the horrors!
Deepak,
ReplyDeleteRE 8 - Clearly payment will be demanded if absent (3,7)
If I give you an article and announce "NOT PRESENT" I would expect you to reach for your purse and dole out some money! You are free to think I am mean.
Hi Jotter,
ReplyDeleteYou are right about 4D, DIS is slang for Underworld boss
Dis is not slang. It is a name for Pluto, who I think rules over the infernal world, the real underworld, not the one on our planet occupied by our dadas.
ReplyDeleteStudents of literature would be familiar with the name.
Okay here is the explanation for DIS. Just follow the link
ReplyDeleteThanks Colonel and Chaturvasi.
ReplyDeleteAnd brilliant on 6A. That had me fully stumped.
Haven't used the grid and so I don't have the crossings.
ReplyDeleteBut I think the solution is RUSH HOUR, going well with the traffic snarls in our cities.
I think Chaturvasi is right on rush hour. Instead of traffic at its lowest it should read as 'traffic at its slowest'
ReplyDeleteRUSH HOUR will be correct if it is 'slowest' instead of 'lowest'otherwise HUSH HOUR seems more plausible to gel with conversely
ReplyDeleteI think I have got used to anticipating errors. We'll know tomorrow
ReplyDeleteOh, I didn't notice that it was 'lowest'. Certainly, it should have been 'slowest' (as opposed to 'rush').
ReplyDeleteAgain, this buttresses my guess that it is one person who scribbles the clues and another who types.
25 - Many mistake Lara for her. Truly if mistake indicates anagram - should it not Carla rather than Clara ( C+ LARA = unmistaken LARA). But then 28 across is not solvable!!
ReplyDelete