ACROSS
1 - Enrolled nurse, in friendship, provides a facility (7) - AMENITY {AM{EN}ITY}
5 - Salesman was not truthful but responded (7) - REPLIED {REP}{LIED}
9 - But this expensive tome may also be seen at tea time (6-5,4) - COFFEE-TABLE BOOK [CD]
10 - Make a gift, working in an engagement (6) - DONATE {D{ON}ATE}
11 - Debris salvaged by journalist — something for fliers! (8) - BIRDSEED {BIRDSE*}{ED}
13 - Tact needed in handling something nice to eat (8) - DELICACY [DD]
15 - Cavity in bone causes loss of head in a fit of temper (6) - ANTRUM tANTRUM
18 - Follow instructions of lawmaker, tyro, in company unknown (6) - COMPLY {CO}{MP}{L}{Y}
19 - Improve on poor music for “Sweet Pepper” (8) - CAPSICUM {CAP}{SICUM*}
24 - Come unannounced for a wee bit to drink at home (4,2) - DROP IN {DROP} {IN}
27 - Chance meetings of the kind filmed by Spielberg (5,10) - CLOSE ENCOUNTERS [DD]
28 - Relax and once again experience inner ecstasy (7) - RELIEVE {RELI{E}VE}
29 - Wrongly addressed master is thrilled (7) - MISSENT {M}{IS}{SENT}
DOWN
1 - Accountant, reverted, yielded and gave his consent (7) - ACCEDED {AC<-}{CEDED}
2 - The Spanish swimmer's propeller is small, delicate (5) - ELFIN {EL}{FIN}
3 - A dialect in another form is just the same thing (9) - IDENTICAL*
4 - Unknown alien, one abominable being (4) - YETI {Y}{ET}{I}
5 - Religious leader, a bit tonguetied, is a timid person (6) - RABBIT {RABBI}{T}
6 - Beg for soft advantage (5) - PLEAD {P}{LEAD}
7 - Moist rice cooked with equal measurements (9) - ISOMETRIC*
8 - Property of Wellington, for example (7) - DUKEDOM [E]
12 - A service with no answer (3) - ACE [CD]
14 - Soft material that gentle people love with a touch of languor (9) - LAMBSWOOL {LAMBS}{WOO}{L}
16 - An attachment without undesirable conditions! (2,7) - NO STRINGS [CD]
17 - Murderer, losing independence, got prison (3) - CAN CAiN
18 - Middle English tale-teller, with a change of heart, became a profit-seeker … (7) - CHANCER CHA(-u+n)NCER
20 - … and gets upset by alien attitude (7) - MINDSET {MINDS}{ET}
21 - A voice quality that accommodates key note with no delay (2,4) - AT ONCE {A}{T ON{C}E}
23 - Bound to give feudal service with a leg that is broken! (5) - LIEGE {LEG+IE}*
25 - Bit of exercise, straddling crushed ice (5) - PIECE {P{IEC*}E}
26 - Good ground for growth in an Oslo amenity (4) - LOAM [T]
The puzzle, its beginning and end all point to one word - amenity
ReplyDeleteSankalak definitely on a run! Very enjoyable start to my last week - going to UK on Saturday to get ready for christmas (my daughter's fiancé has got a visa so they are both coming home and are expecting a full Dickensian spectacle!)
ReplyDeleteGood news is that I've just received a notification saying that my THC app on my iPhone is about to be updated so I will once again be able to do the crosswords remotely and post (late!) comments.
Bhavan
ReplyDeleteGot it!
Now, the question is:
Should a word that is a light or solution in a grid be avoided in the text of clues for that grid?
What do solvers think?
Wow, Bhavan, what an observation !
ReplyDeleteWonderful puzzle.
What do solvers think?
ReplyDeleteNo problem. As long as it is not in the same clue.
Should a word that is a light or solution in a grid be avoided in the text of clues for that grid?
ReplyDeletePreferably yes.
What do solvers think?
ReplyDeleteCan be left to the choice of the setter.as for as solvers are concerned , I second Kishore's.
Nice & enjoyable once again. Struggled a bit to choose between close & third for 27A.
ReplyDeleteCan someone explain the meaning of the dots at the beginning of 20D. There was a discussion about it some time back & CV had some comments on it. How exactly to interpret it?
ReplyDeleteIs the fundoo hindu crossword application free? (I thought there was a lite version, even if there is a paid-for ver).
ReplyDeleteI understood that itunes needs to be installed on the machine to be able to use this app. Is this true?
I was surprised but I was able to d/l and install itunes on my Windows XP OS.
Now the question is: will fundoo Hindu crossword app work on my machine?
But at fundoo I am unable to d/l the lite version though I do find 'free' below the icon. Am I missing something?
Finally even if I am unable to do this I am not bothered. All this is by way of learning. I have means of being able to solve THC interactively if I wanted to by using Mahesh/Chitra's app on the Orkut and elsewhere (a good one at that) and, even without it, by other means after some work on my part.
Also, I have iPad. If the task can be done thereon, let me know. I think I tried that but I wasn't quite comfortable.
Any advice will be gratefully received. Here or privately.
I have the Fundoo app. It stopped working a few months ago when the crossword format changed. Just got a new notification saying the new version will be released on istore v soon and will work on iPhone and iPad. I really liked the app and am looking forward to getting it working again.
ReplyDeletePadmanabhan
ReplyDeleteRe the use of ... in two clues, one at the end of a clue and another at the beginning of the next clue.
In my opinion, this is not the case of a real twinning.
The two clues can stand independently if the second clue does not have 'and' and starts with the word 'Gets'. But in that case, the subject will be absent.
The clue-writer has got over what he thought was a prob. by putting in the ellipses and making the ME tale-teller from the previous clue the subject.
But note that the personage plays no part whatever in the wordplay of the second clue.
The dots are just a fanciful way of dealing with two contiguous clues.
DD, All the best for your visit home. When you alighty in Blighty, do not forget the vilayati.
ReplyDeleteDD,
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your Steak & Kidney Pie
Thanks both
ReplyDeleteActually the one thing I have been craving is fish and chips - so this might well be my first meal, but Snake and Pygmy pie will be happening soon too.
Since you have brought up the reptile and the diminutive man ..
ReplyDeleteAll the best with your trouble and strife ;-)
Thank you CV. Now I get the hang of it.
ReplyDeleteDD:
ReplyDeletesince you are visiting 'native' place, please do remember to pick up a few giant crosswords that appear in the International Express and the Times and the Daily Telegraphs. I'd love to solve them and we may even feature them here in the blogs.
Do visit the Drones Club for some Eggs, Beans and Crumpets.
Bon Voyage and return presto.
God bless.
Crumpets ?! Ahem, ahem.
ReplyDeleteZabinga !
DG 1326 and DD 1348
ReplyDeleteI am reminded of an old joke, which you too might have heard. A meat-seller had twins - a girl and a boy. He had two names in mind - Kate and Sidney. At the Christening ceremony in the church, the minister asked for the names. In a hurry, he answered in kind of a Spoonerism. There you are!
Bon voyage, DD. Have a nice holiday. Think of all of us here when you have fun!
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Renga , for being declared the winner today of the Indian Express MIND THE WORD competition. You can wait like Godot for the prize !!!
ReplyDelete