The usual bag of tricks from Skulldugger. Liked IGNORANT, CROSS THE RUBICON, EQUALITY and ELABORATE.
ACROSS
1 Office component loaned out is wonderful (9) EXCELLENT [MS Office component=EXCEL + loaned out=LENT]
6 Remains horizontal climbing up during abseiling (4) LIES [T<=] abseil is to go down? 'up' as reversal indicator in an across clue?
8 Uninformed national leader orating animatedly (8) IGNORANT [N ORATING]*
9 Strange trance brought on by essence of jasmine, for instance (6) NECTAR [TRANCE]*
10 When tipsy, I consort with dancing cherubs and make unalterable decisions (5,3,7) CROSS THE RUBICON [I CONSORT CHERUBS]*
11 Lavish meal for a religious celebration (5) FEAST [DD]
13 Pedestrian always encounters many Ambassadors, primarily between junctions (8) EVERYDAY [always=EVER + many=D + Ambassadors inside junctions=Y Y]
15 The cutting-edge of haute couture? (8) SCISSORS [CD]
18 Like legendary creature that’s lost its tail, for now (2,3) AS YET [like=AS legendary creature=YETi]
20 Bob urged sinners to go off and sever ties with the past (4,4,7) BURN ONES BRIDGES [BOB URGED SINNERS]*
23 Key ingredient in Bollywood and butter chicken (6) MASALA [CD]
24 Uniformity is an oriental trait (8) EQUALITY [oriental=E + trait=QUALITY]
25 American law officials primarily frisk Easterners, detain some (4) FEDS [Acrostic]
26 Today to tomorrow (9) YESTERDAY [E]
DOWN
1 Like the proverbial beaver with eagle-head, penguin-heart and woodpecker-tail (5) EAGER [EAgle + penGuin + woodpeckER] Some beaver that must be with two heads, one heart and two tails.
2 Goes beyond XXX (7) CROSSES [X=CROSS]
3 Smallest besieged by terrible asthma (5) LEAST [T]
4 Severe, detailed additional measure used on Japanese finally (7) EXTREME [additional=EXTRa + measure=EM + JapanesE]
5 Topless nationalists travelled around (8) TONSURED [travelled=TOURED outside nationalists=N'S]
6 Pluck lily heads off, by chance (7) LUCKILY [pLUCK lILY]
7 Involved online work at Junglee, in the end? (9) ELABORATE [online work=E-LABOR + AT + JungleE]
12 Urge companions to abandon cross for cocaine (9) ENCOURAGE [companions=ENTOURAGE with Cocaine for cross=T?]
14 It goes by around and around (8) BOUNDARY [BY AROUND]* 'and' between anagram fodder and indicator is intrusive.
16 Holidays are sweet desserts to the auditor (7) SUNDAYS [~sweet desserts=SUNDAES]
19 Leaving wife wrapped in bandages and burdened (7) SADDLED [wrapped in bandages=SWADDLED - Wife]
21 External ringleader heading North to forge path (5) ROUTE [external=OUTER with R moving up]
22 Watchman’s beginning to go in (5) ENTRY [sENTRY]
Good puzzle!! Folks, is there going to be a replacement for Orkut - a place where we can begin to solve and post clues before this blog is up with all the answers.
ReplyDeleteI have used the new online app twice now. It's quite convenient. But, I miss the early interaction we had on Orkut.
GI Jane, please try THE HUB. Link is available in the left panel. You will have to register.
DeleteNot much skulduggery today - quite accessible and straightforward, although the bottom half had me struggling for a bit until the long anagram at 20 provided a way in. Thanks to Skulldugger - and to Bhavan for the blog. (The blog looks very different today - is it just the font?)
ReplyDeleteWas held up a little by 7, as I didn't expect an American spelling (work=LABOR). I was wondering whether there should have been some indication of that, but then realised that the setter's pseudonym borrows the American spelling of the root word, so perhaps no further clue is needed! ;)
One look (not just at the font) is enough to single out Bhavan.
Delete13A- I had it as 'Everyman'- a pedestrian- Aam admi if you like it. Junction seemed to be NY, Many Ambassadors primarily giving MA.
ReplyDeleteIf this is right I get a rare 100% with Skulldugger.
But N is not a junction
DeleteWe have a p-n junction in Electronics. Kishore will confirm.
DeleteHere is the link to p-n junction-
Deletehttp://www.thefreedictionary.com/p-n+junction
P-n, pnp and npn junctions exist between p type semiconductors and n type semiconductors, but then Suesh is correct, since n is only a type os semiconductor and not a junction. A junction, imo, requires at least two things being connected. Maybe, there is an n junction in some other context, but I am not aware of it
DeleteI had put in everyman as well, although I couldn't get the anno fully. Everyday looks good.
DeleteSpecial at 10:30 tomorrow will be by Gigabyte
ReplyDeleteO/t
ReplyDeleteI am a bit confused by the use of the abbreviation LoP in the front page of TH today. TV channels are also using this abbreviation for "Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha". IMO, it can be shortened as Lotoitls, LOLS, etc.etc. But how does one get a small o (from of or opposition or what?) and a capital P (from what?) ? It may be noted the position being defined is not "Leader of Opposition in the Parliament". Any ideas?
Looks like The Hindu is confused as well
DeleteI think the logic is
DeleteL - Leader
of - (ignored)
Op. - short for Opposition
Idhu eppadi irukku?
Then why small o and capital p. If 'of' is not ignored, the abbreviation would be LOO, which certainly has a problem when pronounced as a single syllable ...
DeleteCV @ 10:54 : Idhu eppadi irukku?
Deletenalla irukku, Saar!
Kishore @ 11:08 reg ignored "of"
DeleteHow about USA = United States "of" America?
MB garu, your time ref is mixed up ;-) btw what CV has mentioned is what is being bandied around by the media. I was aware of that alleged 'expansion'. My question is: is it correct or justified?
DeleteMB, yes, 'of' can be dropped and Opposition can become Op, but that makes it LOp not LoP ...
DeleteUmmm...you've a point there. :)
DeleteI have been wondering about it ever since it came up after the elections and looking for some explanation somewhere. Today, I have only got more confused! Looks like someone must have anticipated Kishore's problem of 'LOO, and change it to LoP (P standing for oPposition), but then why not LOP?
DeleteI think we are back to my 10:54
DeleteDuniya gole hai ! दुनिया गोल है !
DeleteDeepak
ReplyDeleteIn the Chennai edition of Melange there is an article on golf. Does it appear in the BNG edn?
DG is out for the morning, I think, but to answer your q, no, it does not
DeleteI'm back.
DeleteSo was it a sort dash or a long one?
DeleteShort as I left early to beat the traffic as well as the crowd at the clinic
DeleteBut for 7Dn 'ELABORATE" had a satisfying day today! Thoroughly enjoyed this tricky CW. Thank you Skulldugger. :-)
ReplyDelete24 Uniformity is an oriental trait (8) EQUALITY [oriental=E + trail=QUALITY]
ReplyDeleteTypo in "Trail" pl.
Yesterday we had 'A short dash' - EN and today 'A long dash' -- EM in 4Dn clue.
ReplyDeleteGood outing considering that it is a Skulldugger puzzle. Almost 100% . many enjoyable clues.
ReplyDeleteKISHORE: I too was wondering on LOP ! Very LOP-sided logic, ain't it? May be, there could have been some logic if it was LOO ! given the goings- on there ! and the boos and booboos !
ReplyDeleteFor the golfer/ blogger-
ReplyDeleteThere was this preacher who was an avid golfer. Every chance he could get, he could be found on the golf course swinging away. It was an obsession. One Sunday was a picture perfect day for golfing. The sun was out, no clouds in the sky, and the temperature was just right. The preacher was in a quandary as to what to do, and shortly, the urge to play golf overcame him. He called an assistant to tell him that he was sick and could not do church, packed the car up, and drove three hours to a golf course where no one would recognize him. Happily, he began to play the course.
An angel up above was watching the preacher and was quite perturbed. He went to God and said, "Look at the preacher. He should be punished for what he is doing." God nodded in agreement.
The preacher teed up on the first hole. He swung at the ball, and it sailed effortlessly through the air and landed right in the cup three hundred and fifty yards away (as they say in basketball, nothing but net). A picture perfect hole-in-one. He was amazed and excited.
The angel was a little shocked. He turned to God and said, "Begging Your pardon, but I thought you were going to punish him."
God smiled. "Think about it -- who can he tell?"
Nice one Paddy ! :)
DeleteNone of our Auditors here have any comments on 16D ?
ReplyDeleteThat is a weighty question
DeleteThoroughly enjoyed. Phrases vide10,20a quite appealing.5,12d simply bowled over.Kudos to Skulldugger or rather skilldigger
ReplyDelete