Very entertaining puzzle from Lightning with good surfaces and matching wordplays. I'd like to take this opportunity to reciprocate the best wishes. It is not easy to add a nina to the grid and avoid too many obscure words, so kudos to Lightning in managing the balance well.
ACROSS
8 The Destroyer, held back by Brahma, Vishnu (4) SIVA (T<=)
9 Not present at home? Sailor dispatched to the heart of Arabian Sea (2,8) IN, ABSENTIA (IN + AB + SENT + IA)
10 Soft, well-ordered, elegant, without a trace of arrogance (6) GENTLE (ELEGaNT)*
11 Rutherford’s element – a vital ingredient in most fertilizers (8) NITROGEN (E)
12 Run around without energy – it is a case of damaged nerves (8) NEURITIS (RUN<= outside E + IT IS)
14 Stopped preparing dessert and removed a bit of sugar (6) RESTED (DESsERT)*
16 Stained little finger? Wipe the top off (4) INKY (pINKY)
17 His logic is propositional (5) STOIC (E)
18 Description partly suspect (4) SPEC (T)
19 Excitement in a match full of suspense – half over to go (6) THRILL (THRILLer)
21 Madly keen on expensive stocking (4-4) KNEE-HIGH (KEEN* + HIGH)
23 Movie about eccentric genius – one who believes in selective breeding (8) EUGENIST (ET outside GENIUS*)
26 Dutch farmer receives second grade black custom made motorcycle (6) BOBBER (BOER outside B + B)
27 Footwear comfortable at last? Well, exercise with some enthusiasm (10) ESPADRILLE (E + SPA + DRILL + E)
28 Queen from Middle Eastern country – one that stepped down (4) RANI (iRANI)
DOWN
1 By the last birthday of adolescence, nearly 90 per cent consume a small dose of Ecstasy (10) NINETEENTH (NINE-TENTH outside E)
2 A type of wind seen on resurrection day at the outskirts of Langley (8) EASTERLY (EASTER + LangleY)
3 U.S. State in say, its Pacific coast is largest in extent (6) WIDEST (IDaho inside WEST)
4 Pointlessly long for a tale (4) YARN (YeARN)
5 Arcane, peculiar coteries (8) ESOTERIC (COTERIES*)
6 Girl flirts topless and provokes (6) ANNOYS (ANN +tOYS)
7 Start off the newlywed on a journey (4) RIDE (bRIDE)
13 Supply // cattle (5) STOCK (DD)
15 First lady heartily endorsing eco-friendly party’s core proposition for these plants (10) EVERGREENS (EVE + R + GREEN'S)
17 One admitted inside to unite southern troopers (8) SOLDIERS (I inside SOLDER + S)
18 Butchers moved by this Austrian composer (8) SCHUBERT (BUTCHERS)*
20 Provider of cold comfort? (3,3) ICE, BAG (CD)
22 A badge for a doctor entering endless revolutionary fight (6) EMBLEM (MB inside MELEe<=)
24 America, at the start of sixties, close to war with this former state (1,1,1,1) USSR (US + S + R)
25 Indian musical pattern produced from an instrument with no bass (4) TALA (TAbLA)
SOLUTION GRID
ACROSS
8 The Destroyer, held back by Brahma, Vishnu (4) SIVA (T<=)
10 Soft, well-ordered, elegant, without a trace of arrogance (6) GENTLE (ELEG
11 Rutherford’s element – a vital ingredient in most fertilizers (8) NITROGEN (E)
12 Run around without energy – it is a case of damaged nerves (8) NEURITIS (RUN<= outside E + IT IS)
14 Stopped preparing dessert and removed a bit of sugar (6) RESTED (DES
16 Stained little finger? Wipe the top off (4) INKY (
17 His logic is propositional (5) STOIC (E)
18 Description partly suspect (4) SPEC (T)
19 Excitement in a match full of suspense – half over to go (6) THRILL (THRILL
21 Madly keen on expensive stocking (4-4) KNEE-HIGH (KEEN* + HIGH)
23 Movie about eccentric genius – one who believes in selective breeding (8) EUGENIST (ET outside GENIUS*)
26 Dutch farmer receives second grade black custom made motorcycle (6) BOBBER (BOER outside B + B)
27 Footwear comfortable at last? Well, exercise with some enthusiasm (10) ESPADRILLE (E + SPA + DRILL + E)
DOWN
1 By the last birthday of adolescence, nearly 90 per cent consume a small dose of Ecstasy (10) NINETEENTH (NINE-TENTH outside E)
2 A type of wind seen on resurrection day at the outskirts of Langley (8) EASTERLY (EASTER + L
3 U.S. State in say, its Pacific coast is largest in extent (6) WIDEST (ID
4 Pointlessly long for a tale (4) YARN (Y
5 Arcane, peculiar coteries (8) ESOTERIC (COTERIES*)
6 Girl flirts topless and provokes (6) ANNOYS (ANN +
7 Start off the newlywed on a journey (4) RIDE (
13 Supply // cattle (5) STOCK (DD)
15 First lady heartily endorsing eco-friendly party’s core proposition for these plants (10) EVERGREENS (EVE + R + GREEN'S)
18 Butchers moved by this Austrian composer (8) SCHUBERT (BUTCHERS)*
20 Provider of cold comfort? (3,3) ICE, BAG (CD)
22 A badge for a doctor entering endless revolutionary fight (6) EMBLEM (MB inside MELE
24 America, at the start of sixties, close to war with this former state (1,1,1,1) USSR (US + S + R)
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SOLUTION GRID
Looks like The HINDU goofed again like last year by publishing this CW so early, we still have a month plus to go for Christmas and New Year
ReplyDeleteThe X mas and New Year greeting arrived Lightning fast!
ReplyDeleteExcellent puzzle. 8 A and 24 D my COD
ReplyDeleteAs a connoisseur of crossword clues, I must say some of the clues in this puzzle are excellent - in no way inferior to some of the good ones in top-notch crosswords in the U.K.
ReplyDeleteI am not citing my faves but they are there.
Nice one today. Needed the net to finish. As far as the US goes the season ( or rather the shopping season ) starts from Black Friday.
ReplyDeleteTo clarify, today is Black Friday and is considered the start of the Christmas shopping season.
Delete8A - Liked the way the name of the third person of Trimurti concealed inside the names of the other two.
ReplyDeleteExactly!
DeleteAlso, the surface reading is sensible - of a destroyer being held back.
As the word is so Indian and as the contents are so Indian, the clue is original.
This good clue sits among so many others that are not apparently blemished - adding to the originality of the setter.
Thus I have a reason to compliment the setter.
Excellent CW. Thank you Lightning- both for providing an interesting start to the day as well as for the seasons greetings. Missed the Nina, but once I noticed it in Bhavan's opening remarks, I was able to fill in a few gaps I had in the grid.
ReplyDeleteThough I filled in 1D, I did not get the anno. But on seeing it in the blog I was able to appreciate it fully.Nine tenth is an extremely interesting way to put 90%. Imaginative,to say the least.
A line from the film Andaz Apna Apna came to mind as I solved this puzzle: "ye to pakka khiladi lagta hai". Well done Lightning.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant Crossword! My compliments to Lightning.
ReplyDeleteVery well composed - made me think, thus more joy when I solved it!!
Good morning all - and Seasons' Greetings! I had not spotted them! Thanks for highlighting them.
1D the word 'nearly' appears redundant in this clue.
ReplyDeleteJust a small blemish in an excellent crossword.
As mentioned by Deepak, looks like the editorial staff at The Hindu did not realise that this crossword was meant to appear nearly a month later.
I too was wondering why 'nearly' was there.
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DeleteThanks Bhavan for the blog (and everyone for the wishes).
ReplyDeleteRegarding the Nina, I sent a reminder email earlier this month, ordering the puzzles 3,4 and 5 ensuring this one would be published in the last week of December (my turn in the next cycle). But for some reason (need to find out why) puzzle 3 was skipped altogether resulting in this puzzle published now.
A few small clarifications:
11A: I had intended it to be a Double Definition. "Rutherford's element" being one and "Vital ingredient in most fertilisers" being the other.
1D: I had intended 90% to mean nine-tenths. So Nearly 90% would yield nine-tenth
15D: The S at the end was intended to be derived from "core proposition" where "s" lies in the middle, with core as the indicator. But when I looked at the blog this morning, I realized the extra "s" along with "eco-friendly party's". My mistake on this one.
Lastly, no credit taken for 20D as TH stepped in and changed the clue without notifying me (again not sure why). In hindsight, it sounds much better than the one I had originally :)
Once again season's greetings to everyone.
Who changed original clue for 20D ? this clue by? didn't quite get this :-(
Delete1D: I had intended 90% to mean nine-tenths. So Nearly 90% would yield nine-tenth
ReplyDeleteGood! Yes, the expression is "nine-tenths" not "nine-tenth".
Very correct and very thoughtful of you.
The Nina around the perimeter might have read better if it had been Christmas and New Year Greetings as C precedes N Y.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the exigencies of interlocking words in the grid altered the order.
Yes, I had initially tried with Xmas and NY in that order as it makes most sense. With that order, filling the rest of the grid with reasonable words became a nightmare, so I decided to switch the ordering.
DeleteWicked surfaces! Really enjoyed 19a and 6d.
ReplyDeleteGot a chance to clarify with TH. Apparently there was some confusion with the revised version I had submitted for puzzle 3 + specifying Nina alert for this puzzle by email (rather than incorporating it in the clue sheet). Will add more specific alerts next time.
ReplyDeleteGreat relief after a couple of days
ReplyDeleteI love clues that incorporate or relate to the answer in some way (not necessarily an &-lit). 8A and 24D come into this category. I remember seeing something similar to 24D in THC before. But the answer being an initialism it's bound to happen every now and that. Although I'm not holding that against Lightning; just a remark in passing. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the clues...they really helped a lot..
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