1 - Choke fuel regulator? (8) - THROTTLE [E]
6 - Political coalition gets kisans’ leader out of urban area (4) - BLOC(-k)
9 - Trace out and begin to research what’s on the face of the moon (6) - CRATE*{R}
10 - Additional epithet for one G-man modified (7) - AGNOMEN* New word for me
13 - Talks of what were printing units once (9) - {EX}{PRESSES}
14 - Partial semblance of a mountain in France (5) - (-mont)BLANC [T] 'Blanc' is 'white' in french and not mountain
15 - That’s when you’ve missed the bus (4) - LATE [CD]
16 - Source of power in a plant (6,4) - ENGINE ROOM [E]
19 - Everybody knows it though only a few are supposed to know it (4,6) - OPEN SECRET [CD]
21 - Stop a story: “Animals” (4) - KILL ?
24 - More qualified author leaves Frenchman out (5) - (-f)ABLER
25 - Alibi grad advances to Italian patriot (9) - GARIBALDI*
26 - Flip side to describing form of a Shakespeare sonnet (7) - {IN}{VERSE}
27 - In a high-fiving mood, journalist circulates funny tale (6) - E{LATE*}D
28 - By adding one to this, you get half a score (4) - NINE [CD]
29 - Wicked person at saint’s gathering (8) - SATANIST* Is a satanist essentially a wicked person?
DOWN
2 - Pad Ruth reconstructed is strained (4,3) - HARD PUT*
3 - Electrical convenience in factory store (6) - OUTLET [DD]
4 - Boastful on hitting No.1 charts (9) - THRASONIC* Never heard this word before, I wonder if it is ever used in normal writing
5 - Tests, for once, a manuscript (5) - {EX}{A}{MS}
7 - Gaol bum writhes in pain (7) - LUMBAGO*
8 - Find ANC complaint: no reason to grumble (4,8) - CANT COMPLAIN* Part of the answer is directly there in the clue!
11 - Caught nervous Dean skirting two bishops (6) - NA{BB}ED*
12 - Further distribution in actual place (12) - {REAL}{LOCATION} Nice clue
17 - Tanneries brought to order with all sincerity (2,7) - IN EARNEST*
18 - Unpopular person of interest? (6) - USURER [CD]
20 - Amuse broken valentine after TA leaves (7) - ENLIVEN(-ta)*
22 - Sick situation (7) - ILLNESS [E]
23 - Take hold of senior citizen with TA having entered (6) - {OB}{TA}{IN}
25 - It may be “wild” or “educated” (5) - GUESS [E]
GRID
I had problem with only 21 across (Still not sure if 'kill' as surmised by Col could pass off) and 4 down ('thrasonic'). The latter is a new word for me too. Such words could be avoided.
ReplyDeleteACROSS
14 - Partial semblance of a mountain in France (5) - (-mont)BLANC [T] 'Blanc' is 'white' in french and not mountain
Since Mont Blanc means 'white mountain' in French and also since 'mountain' is included in the name, 'Blanc' can perhaps be accepted as the name of the mountain.
DOWN
8 - Find ANC complaint: no reason to grumble (4,8) - CANT COMPLAIN*
For a short while I kept thinking "can't complain" could not be the answer since the clue was too revealing. Finally, as nothing else would come out of the anagram, I settled for it.
12 - Further distribution in actual place (12) - {REAL}{LOCATION}
I too liked this clue. There are a few others in English vocabulary like 'de-addiction' (dead + diction).
22 - Sick situation (7) - ILLNESS [E]
I relied on 'ailment' and got stuck for some time.
Richard
Mont Blanc is located in France. Hence the def 'mountain in France'
ReplyDeleteKill
ReplyDeleteYou kill a story to end it.
Also a kill could refer to the result of a hint.
Presumably this is the DD the setter has in mind
8D may be put in the list of 'Worst cryptic clues ever'
ReplyDeleteWhy is Sr. Citizen -> OB ?
ReplyDeleteCan someone educate me please?
For a male "Old Boy" and a female "Old Belle"?
ReplyDeleteThat was in a lighter vein.
Richard
OB would be old boy
ReplyDelete24 Across is A(-m)BLER, with the author being Eric Ambler, and Frenchman is M for Monsieur.
ReplyDelete8 Down - I suspect the setter was going for 'COMPLIANT' rather than 'COMPLAINT' in the clue. Even if that were the case, not a great clue.
23 Down - OB (Old Boy / Boys) is typically used for alumnus of a school / college. It's use for a senior citizen seems to be new.
@Suresh,
ReplyDeleteNo doubt on 'kill' the story, I think the "animals" connection is with reference to hunting wherein the animal which is hunted down is referred to as a 'kill'.
@Vinoo,
ReplyDeleteBoth AMBLER and FABLER fit the bill of Author.
You are right about OB's typical usage but OB's connection to Sr Citizen in CW parlance is definitely not new.
As an aside, in army parlance 'Old Man' is the commanding officer of a unit and commanding officers nowadays, in the Indian Army, are just in their mid to late 30s.
Exactly what I meant Colonel. Only I typed hint instead of hunt
ReplyDeleteToo many anagrams and CDs today. 11 anagrams. Not much fun solving these.
ReplyDeleteRaghunath,
ReplyDeleteYou're right!
Whole anagrams are 8 by my count: generally a 15x is supposed not to have more than 5.
Partial anagrams are 3 in number: they are not to be counted among whole anagrams.
Did you read my blog where I analysed a Gridman crossword from different angles including clue types?
http://dailydozen.blogspot.com/2009/11/thc-9688-analysed-by-clue-type.html