ACROSS
1 Part of spectacular Christmas tree (5) LARCH [T]
9 Metal in skull? Head's not the same (7) URANIUM (-c+u)URANIUM
10 Ask earnestly to go in and dine, being short of energy (7) ENTREAT {ENT
11 Blows up, having frightful set-to with dean (9) DETONATES*
12/13 Ready to go down, with reservations, to eat first course (5,8,6) UNDER STARTERS ORDERS {UNDER} {STARTERS} {ORDERS}
13 See 12
15 Overcoats in bar, unrestricted part of train (11,3) OBSERVATION CAR*
20 Scallywag affected by school, at first (5) SCAMP {S}{CAMP}
22 Fuel that is stored in dollies abroad (6,3) DIESEL OIL {D{IE}SEL OIL*}
23 Oriental festival's name (7) EASTERN {EASTER}{N}
24 A sin to devour a third of tiramisu - this one? (7) AVARICE {A{V{A}{R}ICE}
25 Comprehensive knowledge about working in a religious community (9) MONASTERY {M{ON}ASTERY}
26 Slip lead off dog fetching bird (5) EAGLE
DOWN
1 Place of pilgrimage, terribly old? Sure (7) LOURDES*
2 Something to eat in bar, almost cooked (5,4) ROAST LAMB*
3 A woman may wear this hat touring Ireland - almost new (7) HAIRNET {HA{IR}{NE
4 Take an unnecessary risk in state capital, supporting draw (5,10) TEMPT PROVIDENCE {TEMPT} {PROVIDENCE}
5 Type of treatment, a type they knock inside (8,7) AVERSION THERAPY {A}{VERSION} {THE{RAP}Y}
6 Startle a teller, firstly, entering safe (7) ASTOUND {A}{S{T}OUND}
7 Director to study fear (5) DREAD {D}{READ}
8 Character smashed tea urn (6) NATURE*
14 Counting, or estimating? (9) RECKONING [DD]
16 Speak non-stop (7) EXPRESS [DD]
17 Work in musical drama, note (7) OPERATE {OPERA}{TE}
18 Sappers reportedly go free (7) RELIEVE {RE}{LIEVE}(~leave)
19 High value head of expedition placed on climbing experiences (6) ESTEEM {E}{STEEM<=}
21 Runs in a boy responsible for fire-raising (5) ARSON {A}{R}{SON}
Nice crossie. Had to think about AVERSION THERAPY and TEMPTING PROVIDENCE. What's the aversion therapy for compulsive crossword solving?
ReplyDeleteSolve "NinJa" perhaps?
DeleteNinJa? Too cryptic a comment? Even for me !!
DeletePlease parse and annotate and elucidate as to what this Aversion Therapy is !!
Special at 10:30 by Director
ReplyDeleteA good puzzle.
ReplyDeleteNeat, crisp and clean at the edges, though I didnt get a few. Nice.
ReplyDeleteajay
Hi , Can anyone throw some light on why the sunday magazine section, a part of the paper I always eagerly looked forward to, has suddenly become so lean and toned which seems to be a la mode these days. I miss the older weightier ones. Alas.
ReplyDeleteajay
When there is a jacket, or sometimes double-jacket (I don't remember whether it was TH or ToI), perhaps it becomes necessary to reduce the inner wear.
DeleteCorrect me if I am wrong, I used to feel that eight out of ten writers in the Mag section of the Sun TH were women. I am not referring to any recent issue but an overall impression from the past.
DeleteThat's right.
Deletesad because this was the only sunday edition I enjoyed. We hardly have any other sunday magazine editions that are interesting. In delhi this is the only thing worth reading.....any other sunday edition sugestions that can make up?
Deleteajay
Ajay,
DeleteTry 'Speaking Tree' Sunday supplement of TOI. Worth a read.
Director's a newbie?
ReplyDeleteWhen I see Unkown's post I'm reminded of Dharmendra's dialogue in Sholay "Tera naam kya hai Basanti?". Hope you don't mind, Ajay.
ReplyDeletelol nope raghu......i reckon the gabbar cartoon has made its impression.....
ReplyDeleteajay
It's not that, Unknown, it's something to do with your post, Ajay.
DeleteA lovely, informative and concise crossie with good surface reading. Enjoyed doing it.
ReplyDeleteCan anyone throw light on why the sunday cryptics do not carry the setter's name?
These are syndicated from The Guardian, of UK, I think
DeleteThe Sunday cryptic is syndicated from The Guardian of the UK and the name of the setter is 'Everyman' which is a Pseudonym, I presume. It is published there as a prize crossword, this one appeared there on 11 Aug 2013.
DeleteMerci beaucoup Raghu and Col.
DeleteActually it is syndicated from The Observer, which is a Sunday paper from the Guardian stable. The website where it is published online is named after the Guardian.
ReplyDeleteWhat I meant to say is that the original is published in The Observer.
ReplyDelete@Unknown,
ReplyDeleteAm reminded of the Sholay dialogue because you also sign off with Ajay!
Hi Friends,
ReplyDeleteHope you people know this technique.
For all those who are tech-savvy and want to solve crossword in a laptop.
Here is the grid-generator from image :
http://goundermygod.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/hindu-crossword-editable-pc-windows.html
Thanks alot to Ramsundar Govindarajan sir.