ACROSS
1 Follow, behind stage, a pet (6) LAPDOG {LAP}{DOG}
4 Setback could make naval captain tense (6) BLIGHT {BLIGH}{T}
9 What tireless seamstresses do, reportedly, for whatsit (2-3-2) SO-AND-SO (~sew-and-sew)
10 Agreed to move simultaneously (2,3,2) AT ONE GO [CD]
11 Electoral system providing veto, by implication? (11,4) ALTERNATIVE VOTE {VETO}*
12 Girl given carbon copy (5) MIMIC {MIMI}{C}
14 Overworked journalist examined around noon (9) HACKNEYED {HACK}{N}{EYED}
16 Oarsman in races representing republic (3,6) SAN MARINO*
18 Having a pleasant taste, sauce as written about (5) SAPID {SA}{PID}<=
20 Serving only favoured customers further down the bar (5-3-7) UNDER-THE-COUNTER {UNDER}-{THE}-{COUNTER}
22 Relatives in Mexico, US insurgents (7) COUSINS [T]
23 Thicken soup in cookhouse (7) KITCHEN*
24 Land close to shore, say (6) ESTATE {
25 Scoundrel with gag (6) WRETCH {W}{RETCH}
DOWN
1 Young woman touring tourist centre and port in the Canary Islands (3,6) LAS PALMAS {LAS {PALMA}S}
2 Bit of humbug in Xmas show, on top of Marley's ghost! (7) PHANTOM {P{H}ANTO}{M}
3 Instruct class (5) ORDER [DD]
5 Free tips, details yet to be explained (5,4) LOOSE ENDS {LOOSE} {ENDS}
6 Beginning to grieve about bloodstained boy (7) GREGORY {G
7 Character eating British steak (1-4) T-BONE {T-{B}ONE} Yummy!
10 What one may eat at a birthday party or a picnic? (1,5,2,4) A PIECE OF CAKE [DD]
13 Something for the upwardly mobile in St Moritz, perhaps? (9) CHAIRLIFT [CD]
17 Almost certainly agree on bout being fixed (2,5) NO DOUBT {NO D}{BOUT*}
19 Critical remark made on finding earthenware vessel with crack (3,4) POT SHOT {POT} {SHOT}
20 Pawnbroker having soiled article taken away (5) UNCLE UNCLE
21 Dairy product with lid removed, say (5) UTTER
The special today is a Jumbo from Arden. As there is no print edition I have advanced the time to 9 AM (just for today) and increased the per person quota to 4 (again for today only) as it is a Jumbo CW
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sir. Looking forward to it eagerly !
DeleteLet's deal with a mighty elephant!
ReplyDelete---
Any surprises in entries to IXL or leaderboard when a fimiliar name is not in position or when another is totally missing and such things may be due to power outages that are so common in our cities.
The real test is in the final when participants may have to gather in one place and do the crosswords in real time under trying circumstances.
Which hand will go up then, "Sir, I have finished it!"
Yesterday, initially I forgot about IXL as I was busy otherwise, finally when I did remember my Broadband connection refused to connect to the IXL site, had to switch connections, finally manged to get through and submit my entry at 4 PM
DeleteThe joke reminds me of an incident that happened in California nearly ten years back.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I were on a visit to my daughter's home. At weekends there will be gatherings of friends, some driving for 60-90 minutes to be able to come. And as usual these young people will have laptops and would idly surf the 'Net as they are engaged in conversation and conviviality. The forlorn girls, quite homesick, would cosy up to mamis.
On occasions people become too friendly in felicitations and one evening a young girl sat on wife's 'madi' as they call it in Kannada and you can expect me to remark immediately: "Hey, Gita, you now have a beautiful laptop!"
Everyone roared in laughter. She was a slender, fair, beautiful girl hailing from Bihar (this is mama's observation)..
Col: Strangely, I could log in to the IXL rather easily , though I too had forgotten about it , until I saw some comments in the blog. I was almost to give up on some impossible clues but persisted doggedly, as a challenge, and could exorcise the ghost !! I do it for the fun of it as some clues are indeed offbeat ! As CV says: the finals are due shortly and I wonder who all can participate and who will walk away with the prize. It is fun though !! Will the finals also be published ?
ReplyDeleteIs the Jumbo possible to be done on line? I'm not able to get through by Java ! Loks attractive enough for a Divali special ! Thanks, Col & Arden
ReplyDeleteHappy Diwali, all!
ReplyDeleteToday's crossie was a challenge and its a pity that no one seemed to have had a go !! Arden's Jumbo trampled over this?
ReplyDeleteClue of my day : 5 down: A PIECE OF CAKE. well-thought of . Though the crossie was not one !