Nice opener from Arden, though I found it a little devious at places.
ACROSS
9 Beer can opener from East German plant (7) ALECOST {ALE}{C
11 Look at the servant, spoiling the wall (7) SEEPAGE {SEE}{PAGE} Iffy definition
12 Tyre said to be coming off running vehicle (7) EXHAUST [DD]
13 May be friend garners support from a rabble rouser (9) FIREBRAND {FIRE{BRA}ND*}
15 Stood for Tory leader who’s below par (5) MEANT {MEAN}{T}
16 State is getting Republican support (7) TRELLIS {T{R}ELL}{IS}
19 Correct soldier’s uniform (7) REDRESS {RE}{DRESS}
20 Indian town retains staff with ease (5) ERODE {E{ROD}E}
21 I have noticed in a metal — they are very hard (9) ABRASIVES {A{BRAS{I'VE}S}
25 Convert Uranium found in the space buggy (7) LAUNDER {LA{U}NDER}
26 European city record included in the figure (7) COLOGNE {CO{LOG}NE}
28 Confused seeing small book (7) GENESIS {SEEING*}{S}
29 A prophet brought it back, by the way it’s only for the very best (7) ELITIST {ELI}{TI<=}{ST}
DOWN
1 Mare and donkey provided on mountain range (6) MASSIF {M}{ASS}{IF}
2 What the heavens send down to inflict on soldiers? (6) METEOR {METE}{OR}
3 The concluding piece retrieved from a document (4) CODA [T<=]
4 One following a Goddess (6) ATHENA {A}{THEN}{A}
5 It is about real and correct schedule (8) CALENDAR {C}{ALENDAR*}
6 I’m scared, he perhaps is the one who ran out of the bath (10) ARCHIMEDES*
7 True account by a man of god (8) ACCURATE {AC}{CURATE}
8 Laws in parts of our country including Diu and Daman (8) STATUTES {STAT{UT}ES}
14 Born on a tree and died on a tree? It doesn’t make sense (10) BALDERDASH {B}{ALDER}{D}{ASH} Like last Sunday?
16 They have nothing to record on the subject (8) THEOLOGY {THE{O}{LOG}Y}
17 Flowery arrangement plenty around Queen (8) ELOQUENT {LOT+QUEEN}* Around is misleading. As per the wording of the clue this becomes {LOT arranged around QUEEN}
18 May be ages before soldiers on board let it grow underwater (8) SEAGRASS {AGES*}{RA}{SS}
22 Lot of noise over the scam (6) RACKET [DD]
23 Strive to include egg in his diet, he may refuse (6) VEGGIE {V{EGG}IE}
24 When is he at home to take cover? (6) SHEATH [T]
27 Warren decapitated a PM once (4) LAIR
27d ONY !
ReplyDeleteDisraeli could have changed nationality if he was decapitated
DeleteCome on, Kishore, where is the question of one changing nationality when one is decapitated?
ReplyDeleteSo try
Disraeli could have changed nationality after he lost his head (7)
BTW, in the hands of some other setter would 24d have been
When is he at harem to take cover? (6)
;-) Then he (not Disraeli, but the hero of the second clue) would not require a warren, since he would not breed like rabbits ...
DeleteDisreali, if he did change nationalities after decap, would still be a British head !
DeleteYou mean Benjamin?
DeleteOf course, Enjamin
DeleteThough I used the correct spelling first time around, I made a typo at 858
DeleteNot the usual Arden puzzle today. Some observations:
ReplyDelete15 Stood for Tory leader who’s below par (5) MEANT {MEAN}{T}
Would have worked better in a Down clue. Arden usually does not observe this distinction.
20 Indian town retains staff with ease (5) ERODE {E{ROD}E}
A homophone ind is missing?
21 I have noticed in a metal — they are very hard (9) ABRASIVES {A{BRAS{I'VE}S}
'In a metal' seems incorrect, when read with - 'they are very hard'.
1 Mare and donkey provided on mountain range (6) MASSIF {M}{ASS}{IF}
M for mare accepted abbrv?
17 Flowery arrangement plenty around Queen (8) ELOQUENT {LOT+QUEEN}*
Indirect anagram?
23 Strive to include egg in his diet, he may refuse (6) VEGGIE {V{EGG}IE}
What is the def? Or can it be a sem&lit?
I like 7d.
True account by a man of god (8) ACCURATE {AC}{CURATE}
A problem again on the app version - two extra squares blocked out in the extreme SW corner, cutting off the last two letters of 16d and the first letter of 28a (besides shifting 28a a space to the right). I have tried writing to the developers earlier about grid representation problems but have had no response. Does anyone here know a better way of reaching them? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWhich app are you talkin about? The one through Orkut is working
DeleteSorry - I should have specified that I meant the Android app (THCrossword).
DeleteNice cartoon Kishore. I see that the def. of 'veggie' is relative!
ReplyDeleteAs they say in south Indian languages: Naan vegetarian ...
DeletePaddy, in that type of socities, "I called my uncle over for dinner" can have grave and gravy connotations ...
DeleteNaan is def. vegetarian,
DeleteI am reminded of the joke-
Teacher: Make a sentence using I
Student: I is.....
Teacher: You should not say I is., but I am.
Student: I am the 9th letter of the alphabet.
Grave & gravy!! Nice combo.
DeleteAgree with the Gravitas !
Delete20 Indian town retains staff with ease (5) ERODE {E{ROD}E}
ReplyDeleteA homophone ind is missing?
I do not understand the anno. Is staff = rod? Is EE used for ease?. Even though I answered it because of the crossing letters, still I am unable to understand the anno. Can anyone explain?
If there was a homophone ind it would mean ROD + EE. It's not "within' EE. It seems like Indian town retains ROD, i.e takes in ROD, I think.
DeleteStaff = Rod
ReplyDeleteease = Read it as E's (i.e. 2 E's)
Thanks Bhargav, Now I got it. Now I understand why Raghunath is asking for a homophone indicator for ease.
DeleteWith ref to preamble Col, don't know in what context you have used 'devious'. Generally speaking, devious I like!
ReplyDeleteCol. did not say he did not like it. In fact he first said 'A nice opener'. I leave it to Col. to answer the 'devious' part.
DeleteWhy I said devious is because in the first pass I hardly got any answers, which is most unlike an Arden CW.
DeleteThe very first word "Beer" might make one deviate to places!!!
ReplyDeleteSomeone might phone and say: B(hargav) here !!!
ReplyDeleteKishore at 10:11 Just before his meal, the Chief might have been beating the drums and singing this song:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWv7mZ3HcnQ
ReplyDeleteAbhay at 9:20: For once the Anderoid App today worked. Maybe it got corrected later on.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the puzzle after missing the fun from Sunday to Tuesday.
Soldier/s has been used to clue in 3 different forms - RE (19A), OR (2D) & RA (18D).
ReplyDeleteState has been used a verb to clue in TELL (16A). It was also part of the solution in 18D (parts of our country).
Variety is the spice ... Thanks, Arden.
It is amazing the way Kishore is able to string things together. There could be thematic toons in the proposed THCCC 'stringing' the toons on pot(luck) together.Instead of food being provided for an unexpected or uninvited guest, it would be the guest providing (constituting) the food! The attendees bring a dish (here a guest) to a meal.
On the same theme, Raju's clue on 'recycling' last Sunday can be juxtaposed with the World Environment Day coming up tomorrow.
Ref. 20A, 'ee' is an abbreviation for ease.
ReplyDeletePl refer Cryptic Crossword Indicators and Abbreviations.
Raghu's query @ 8:58 reg : M for mare accepted abbrv?
ReplyDeletePl see the link given above by Venkatesh. Still I feel a homophone Ind was reqd when 'ease' is read as Es(meaning two Es).
The article on Sankalak carried by 'The Caravan' will be posted here at 3:30 PM today
ReplyDeleteGentlemen, you are horsing around with the wrong mare. Mare is Latin for sea and I suspect our mariner (look at thar word!) is using an abbreviation used in old maps. Look at this map, there are mares even on the moon ...
ReplyDeletehttps://www.google.co.in/search?q=latin+mare+map&client=firefox-a&hs=Og9&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&tbm=isch&imgil=sd2z0ACM1
ARDEN at his best. ALECOST is new to me. This crossie is no BALDERDASH- a very contrived and cleverly clued piece. Lets change his name to EMDEN !
ReplyDelete