ACROSS
1 - It may hold a drink, a drink for the blood suckers (7) - CHALICE {CHA}{LICE}
5 - One is said to be pushing them up when late (7) - DAISIES [CD]
9 - It is a grind, right before the river (5) - RHONE {R}{HONE}
10 - Getting better and active with those people close behind
(2,3,4) - ON THE MEND {ON} {THE M}{END}
11 - May be the King has a hand in such growth (5,4) - ROYAL PALM {ROYAL} {PALM}
13 - It is sticky to be around a place in the south Pacific (4) - GUAM {GU{A}M}
15 - Stated procrastination of a devotee (8) - IDOLATER [CD] (Addendum - {I}{DO}{LATER} - See comments)
18 - Old Italian playing tricks with Centaurs (8) - ETRUSCAN*
19 - Tense listening to what is being imparted (4) - TAUT (~taught)
22 - Those selected received the billet (5) - INGOT {IN}{GOT}
24 - Purges away chief of the locals after being lenient (9) - LAXATIVES {LAX}{nATIVES}
26 - Voices are raised when most of the workmen get second shift
(9) - CRESCENDO {CREw}{SECOND*}
27 - Struggling Chinese abandon southeast corner (5) - NICHE CHINEse*
28 - Place to hold droppings over a long time (7) - DUNGEON {DUNG}{EON}
29 - Attempt to introduce everyone to this bulb (7) - SHALLOT {SH{ALL}OT}
1 - It could kill the artist in the middle of treatment (6) - CURARE {CU{RA}RE}
3 - The student follows a concept which suits him best (5) - IDEAL {IDEA}{L}
4 - He may have a personality disorder — come again? (9) - EGOMANIAC*
5 - Starters delay after the umpire missed the starting point (5) - DATUM {D}{A}{T}{U}{M}
6 - Eglantine made to look gauche (9) - INELEGANT*
7 - Turn over and reduce volume when sluggish (5) - INERT INvERT
8 - Not happy being led off the seat (6) - SADDLE {SAD}{LED*}
14 - One should long with an inner love for a soup-strainer, perhaps
(9) - MOUSTACHE {M{O}UST}{ACHE}
17 - Strange voice (not English), sneaking in all the same, is
suspect (9) - EQUIVOCAL {EQU{VOICe*}AL}
20 - Showed discomfort with success coming a month back (6) - WINCED {WIN}{CED<-}
21 - One gets a whiff of a rise (6) - ASCENT {A}{SCENT}
23 - Gather one will stoop below the legend (5) - GLEAN {G}{LEAN}
24 - Material right to include the name (5) - LINEN {LI{N}EN}
15 - Stated procrastination of a devotee (8) - IDOLATER [CD]
ReplyDelete{I}{DO}{LATER}
Solid opener from Arden. Liked Obnoxious the best.
ReplyDeleteColonel, for 14D why not a picture of self : )
I thought of Deepak too when I saw the clue.
DeleteDidn't have a close-up mugshot!
Delete2Dn Here, Contract is used to clue in NT.
ReplyDeleteThis can be interpreted in two ways:
Col has taken it as No Trumps (a bridge term).
It can also be taken as New Testament. The word Testament is better translated as "covenant". This is taken from the Hebrew and Greek words designating a contract agreement between two parties. We have the old contract (Old Testament) between God and His people and the new contract (New Testament) between God and Christians.
CV Sir: MANGO's Alphonso: At half past midnight, I managed to chew up the Alphonso and sucked up the last of the juice from the Gutli !!
ReplyDeleteI'll post my entry tonight.
So generous and unselfish of you to have shared this competition. Any way, we solvers do not eye for the prize but get fully sated by solving the puzzle. We cannot say: let the best win; but only Let the luckiest amongst us win as I'm sure there will be many to picked out of the hat..
Strangely, how come none of the fellow-buffs have commented on this? Because of the Sunday? Good that they have until 8th of June. Hope all of them join the race.
Way to GO MAN !!
With your Col's majestic handle bars, you are too modest to display your pride, Col?
ReplyDelete5d - Datum - is it the singular for data?
ReplyDelete14d - Got the proverb 'Koozhukkum Aasai, Meesaikkum Aasai'
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/datum?s=t
ReplyDeleteThis gives different meanings of 'datum'. What you say is right, but more appropriate here is as a base or ref. for something. The proverb is apt!
Thanks Paddu. 29a - seems to be our 'sambar vengayam'
DeleteYes it is.
Delete