No 11203, Tuesday 30 Sep 2014, Vulcan

ACROSS
6   Largely decorated room with works of art (7) GALLERY*
7   Receive order (7) COMMAND [DD]
9   Belittle a foundation (5) ABASE {A}{BASE}
10 It leaves our mark all over (6,3) INDIAN INK [CD]
11 Backing Avatar or Public Enemies to win a fair share (3,4) PRO RATA [T]
13 Estimate of yield and profit in the end (6) BUDGET {BUDGE}{p...iT}
15 Coppola say, went ahead of time directing this classic (10,3) APOCALYPSE NOW {COPPOLA+SAY}* {NOW} How did an O become an E? (Addendum - {COPPOLA+SAY+WENt}* - See comments)
19 Whatever Solomon had perhaps Norman did too (6) WISDOM [DD]
20 Fighters on horseback left to the east, in a great ordeal (7) CAVALRY CA(-l)VA(+l)RY
23 Nourishment gotten from fruit, Iron it provides (9) NUTRITION {NUT}{IRON+IT}*
24 Old lady with UN diplomat from the east (5) NANNA <=
26 Birds flying to caves (7) AVOCETS*

27 Recipe is too complex and time consuming to make, a rice dish (7) RISOTTO {R}{IS}{OT{T}O*}

DOWN
1   Appeal from section of the people affected (4) PLEA [T]
2   Swelling made one extremely uncomfortable (6) OEDEMA {MADE+OnE}*
3   In the usual way, extremely touchy picture had everybody cryin' at heart (9) TYPICALLY {TouchY}{PIC}{ALL}{crYin}
4   Green tea and rum starting to make one dizzy (8) IMMATURE {TEA+RUM+Make+1}*
5   Pal and I go down to swim in shallow waters (6,4) WADING POOL {PAL+I+GO+DOWN}*
6   Catch son leaving with dad's brandy (6) GRAPPA {GRAsP}{PA}
7   Abandon children, say (4) CEDE (~seed)
8   Information about old king living up in a North American region (6) DAKOTA {DA{K}{O}<=TA}
12 Resentment of old political leader is awkward during election (10) OPPOSITION {O}{P}{POSITION}
14 Classic main course, mostly where the focus is (9) EPICENTRE {EPIC}{cENTRE} (Addendum - {EPIC}{ENTREe} - See comments)
16 Option to include topping of chocolate and that of strawberries in a dessert (4-4) CHOC-ICES {CHO{C}-ICE}{S} That should have been 'in desserts'.
17 War ravaged and split the country (6) RWANDA {WAR}*{AND}*

18 Deputy to Prime Minister, an energetic person (6) DYNAMO {DY}{NAMO}
21 Disappear in a vehicle with one's husband (6) VANISH {VAN}{1'S}{H}
22 Bends and hits (4) TIPS [DD]
25 Sign a letter (4) NOTE [DD] ?

GRID

No.11202, Monday 29 Sep 2014, Lightning

Was expecting KKK. Solved at lightning speed and wondered whether KKK had become a little easier to solve ? Then the paper came and I saw it was indeed a Lightning puzzle.
This  nice puzzle has a mathematician, a psychologist, a General, some lawyers, men of religion (bishop, priest, theologian), an editor (in the singular and the plural) and newsmen,a saint, a politician and party spokesperson, a criminal and a couple of engineers

Across
1 Twisted laps, one racer initially negotiated (6) SPIRAL (LAPS I R)*
4 Old letter, lacking in detail (8) OMISSIVE (O MISSIVE)
10 Rebel to damage a road (9) BREAKAWAY (BREAK A WAY)
11 Mathematician to exchange diamonds with rookie psychologist (5) ADLER (AD(-d + L)ER) had to Google to confirm.
          Psychologists are funny people: They think they think about things other people think, at least that's what I think
12 Absolute sum (5) TOTAL (2)
13 Engineer certain to take a northern state to reach a high standard (7,2) MEASURE UP (ME (A) SURE UP)
         Just realised that ME stands for Military Engineer. In other words, our own "Me !"
14 Old lady gives up knight for a royal storehouse (7) GRANARY (GRAN(-n + A R)Y )
16 Penned without memorisation (4) ROTE (WROTE - W) nice use of with-out

19 Infection in a filthy place, essentially dangerous (4) STYE (STY E)
21 General drawback in the direction of the wind (7) LEEWARD (LEE DRAW<)
24 Misses tip about cynic (9) PESSIMIST (MISSES TIP)*
25 Stroll to bet, lose a grand (5) AMBLE (GAMBLE - G)
26 Lawyers sent back bishop with one priest (5) RABBI (BAR< B 1)
          Reminded me of the Sikh Rabbi who sings Bulleh Shah's compositions
27 Free at last, editor becomes unrestricted (4-5) OPEN ENDED (OPEN END ED)
28 One serene saint plagued by a disturbing feeling (8) EERINESS (1 SERENE S)*
29 Smart, distinguished engineer leaves carriage (6) HANSOM (HANDSOME - D - E) Is an initial indicator required for d and e. Are these standard abbreviations?

Down
1 A software program employed by learned man to cause destruction (8) SABOTAGE (A BOT in SAGE)
2 Nitrogen, perhaps damaged granites (5,3) INERT GAS (GRANITES)*
3 Everything about key electron missing in alkane without a hydrogen atom (5) ALKYL (ALL around KeY)
5 Summer month carnival in a part of London (7) MAYFAIR (MAY FAIR)
6 Regulation about alien figurine (9) STATUETTE (STATUTE about ET)
7 University to follow current fabrication instead (2,4) IN LIEU (IN LIE U)
8 Regret going back to work at Eastern continent (6) EUROPE (RUE< OP E)
9 Muddy politician in control (6) SWAMPY (MP in SWAY)
          Believe it or not, I typed SWAMY by mistake!
15 Wearing down a primarily tough criminal lacking remorse (9) ATTRITION (A T CONTRITION - CON)
17 Cutting remark made by party spokesperson at first in a Caribbean state (8)  BARBADOS (BARD A DO S)
18 Post-script, a theologian mostly completes with hesitation (8) ADDENDUM (A DD ENDs UM)
20 Newsmen represent Dorset institution (7) EDITORS (DORSET I)*
21 Dump a bunch of kittens (6) LITTER (2)
22 Scattered reserve housing society (6) SPARSE (S in SPARE)
23 Alviso barometer revealing line with uniform pressure (6) ISOBAR (T)
25 Near a demolished stadium (5) ARENA (NEAR A)*

GRID

No 2810, Sunday 28 Sep 2014

Great clues today with fantastic anagrams and surfaces.

ACROSS
1   Secretary's attempt to make dough (6) PASTRY {PA'S}{TRY}
4   Gemstones in suit (8) DIAMONDS [DD]
10 Drinks drop of tea in wood in the Holy Land (9) PALESTINE {P{ALES}{T}INE}
11 Such music is constant during party? (5) DISCO {D{IS}{C}O}
12 Tonight, a telling off in a London Tube station (7,4,4) NOTTING HILL GATE*
13 Musical instruction from an eminent Florentine (7) ANDANTE {AN}{DANTE}
15 Sufficient to answer demand in the noughties (6) ENOUGH [T]
17 A service attended by elderly poet (6) ARNOLD {A}{RN}{OLD}
19 Lad went swimming in marshy area (7) WETLAND*
21 Golden sands - name changed in novel (6,3,6) ANGELS AND DEMONS*
23 Gather in place to dine (5) PLEAT {PL}{EAT}
24 Musical work, formerly spoken start to elegy (9) PASTORALE {PAST}{ORAL}{E}

25 Police officer gets near criminal (8) SERGEANT*
26 Plans to include large models (6) IDEALS {IDEA{L}S}

DOWN
1   Foppish type to pay a quick call on one who talks foolishly at length (8) POPINJAY {POP IN}{JAY}
2   Part company in Adriatic port (5) SPLIT [DD]
3   USA-run lotteries, awfully chancy business (7,8) RUSSIAN ROULETTE* Fantastic anagram!
5   List that is full of incorrect times (7) ITEMISE {I{TIMES*}E}
6   "In the Mood" a fiddler rearranged - that's easy listening (6-2-3-4) MIDDLE-OF-THE-ROAD*
Hear this by a band with this name

7   Lots again suffering homesickness (9) NOSTALGIA*
8   One who points out a worthless group of people? (6) SHOWER [DD]
9   Free one individual (6) SINGLE [MD]
14 Terribly rude urge I suppressed, as required by etiquette (2,7) DE RIGUEUR {DE R{I}GUEUR*}
16 Greek hero's trek cut short by us (8) ODYESSEUS ODYESS(-y+us)US
18 Notice old man in study, poker-faced (7) DEADPAN {DE{AD}{PA}N}
19 Heading for workshop that is most spacious (6) WIDEST {W}{ID EST}
20 French writer penning page in college grounds (6) CAMPUS {CAM{P}US}
22 Some from a haunted place in Nebraska (5) OMAHA [T]

No.11201, Saturday 27 Sep 14, Skulldugger

A couple of tricky wordplays notwithstanding, this was fun with consistently nice stories in the surface. Lot of good clues - WRECKS, CONTAINERS, VARSITIES, FOREHEAD, POSTER, CONSONANT, SUPREME and SETTEE. Thanks to Skulldugger.

ACROSS
1 Pope's rattled by the French citizens (6) PEOPLE [POPE* + the French=LE]
4 Current regent reportedly causes destruction (6) WRECKS [~regent=REX]
9 Concern observed in chairmen intermittently (4) CARE [ChAiRmEn]
10 Contras in resistance finally foiled, end up in cells (10) CONTAINERS [CONTRAS IN resistancE]*
11 Looked back at a short piece of Japanese plant (6) WASABI [looked=SAW<- + A + piece=BIt]
12 Commercial income misused to gain control of company (8) ECONOMIC [INCOME* outside COmpany]
13 Most extraordinary spectrum observed in Stone Street (9) STRANGEST [spectrum=RANGE inside STone + STreet]
15 Except for bondsman, labour's not to be found (4) SAVE [bondsman=SlAVE]
16 To express contempt like a monkey off its face (4) PISH [like a monkey=aPISH]
17 Academician revisits extraordinary institutions like Oxford and Cambridge (9) VARSITIES [Academician REVISITS]*
21 Dome area surrounding temple (8) FOREHEAD [CD]
22 Sticker covering two-thirds of back side (6) POSTER [back side=POSTERior]
24 Carts flung into turbid Seine by opposition forces (10) RESISTANCE [CARTS SEINE]*
25 Moon, stars endlessly radiating source of rays in a very small amount (4) IOTA [moon=IO + sTArs]
26 “Small swan”, said small seal (6) SIGNET [~small swan=CYGNET]
27 With rigorous effort primarily, turned knowledgeable (6) VERSED [turned=Rigorous Effort + VERSED]

DOWN
1 Provincial farmer's game bird ripping off hen's head (7) PEASANT [game bird=PhEASANT]
2 Clare pompously turns up and displays drama (5) OPERA [T<=]
3 In need of sleep, for starters, for relaxing (7) LACKING [relaxing=Sleep + LACKING] Not sure the wordplay instruction comes out cleanly.
5 Motive for treachery not apparent in the end (6) REASON [treachery=tREASON]
6 Every component in rhythm, for instance, is harmonious (9) CONSONANT [Def by Example]
7 It might be a fault in court (7) SERVICE [CD]
8 Grasping a French position, eclipsing the German (13) UNDERSTANDING [a French=UN + position=STANDING outside the German=DER]
14 Saying no, for example, might require inner swag (9) ANSWERING [INNER SWAG]*
16 Writ in favour of tax (7) PROCESS [in favour of=PRO + tax=CESS]
18 Greatest presumed dead — loss catastrophic (7) SUPREME [PRESUMEd]*
19 Turned out chosen Labour leader abdicated, flashing victory sign (7) EVERTED [chosen=ELECTED with V for L?] Not sure how C becomes R if EVERTED is the answer.
20 Step 1 of golfer's pre-drive routine: getting a place to park! (6) SETTEE [SET TEE]
23 Indian deity mostly seen with small knives (5) SHIVS [Indian deity=SHIVa + Small]

No 11200, Friday 26 Sep 2014, Incognito

Where are the Friends and countrymen? ;-) No samosa for me today as I'm stumped for some annos :-(

ACROSS
1   Bulge out for short time before being unpleasant (8) PROTRUDE {PRO}{T}{RUDE}
5   Girl is mad about Germany’s un-powered aircraft (6) GLIDER {GLI{DE}R*}
10 Alien's principle (5) TENET {TEN}{ET} Clue number on double duty!
11 Animals like horses and donkeys consume bovine creature when days and nights are equal (9) EQUINOXES {EQUIN{OX}ES}
12 Documents father has for every son (6) PAPER {PA}{PER}{S}
13 Dr. House's internist (8) THIRTEEN [GK] Thanks to Google [DD] - See comments
15 Tiara smashed into an Indian dish (5) RAITA*
17 Sailor and soldiers consumed (ate) before initial temperature reduction (9) ABATEMENT {B}{TE}{MEN}{T} Was there a necessity to clarify 'consumed'? Seecomments
19 Eat too much fodder from land on great Arizona estate initially (9) OVERGRAZE OVER{GR}{AZ}{Estate} Anno for 'OVER' not clear See comments
20 Look up data about leaders of first European republics (5) REFER {RE}{F}{E}{R}
21 Ancient jurisprudence is surprisingly normal with a woman ... (5,3) ROMAN LAW {ROMAN L*}{A}{W}
23 ... brothel keeper taking posh car for doctor's weed (6) MARRAM MA(-d+rr)RRAM
27 Unite a prisoner with prison and brew tea (9) CONJUGATE {CON}{JUG}{TEA*}
28 Cricket side, Edward, is murdered in America (5) O (Addendum - OFFED {OFF}{ED} - See comments) Don't know how I missed entering this?
29 South African Minister of State had a fried Indian snack (6) SAMOSA {SA}{MOS}{A} ... and so will many others today!
30 Gamble, without a note, and with hesitation, for an instrument (8) SPECULUM {SPECULate}{UM}

DOWN
1   Raised a little dog in Chandigarh, say. Quite the contrary! (3,2) PUT UP {P{UT} UP}
2   Wine-lover remodelled pigeonhole after first glass was dropped (9) OENOPHILE PIgEONHOLE*
3   Rotating part model with a ball on each side is held by bishop (5) ROTOR {R{O}{T}{O}R}
4   Deleted — deleted initial half of letter in document (4) DEED DEletED
6   Mad Pitman left un-parliamentary composition for some time (5,4) LUNAR YEAR UN-pARLiamEntARY*
7   Pass away around 9 in the southern United States (5) DIXIE {D{IX}IE}
8   Roman senator is confused after man leaves wave generator (9) RESONATOR {ROman+SENATOR}*
9   Super heat mixture in Middle Eastern river (9) EUPHRATES*
14 Man, a lay lama, adapted a South Indian language (9) MALAYALAM {M+A+LAY+LAMA}*
15 RAF crooks design luggage carriers (4,5) ROOF RACKS*
16 Jason's fleet mates say, “Northern Australia” in many languages (9) ARGONAUTS ARGO{NA}UTS Anno pending (Addendum - {ARGO{N}{AU}TS} - See comments)
18 Spill fuel around first stronghold. That is strenuous (9) EFFORTFUL {E{F}{FORT}FUL*} 'F' for first? 
22 Roman money for short skirt held up by male (5) MINIM {MINI}{M} or is it {M}{INIM<=}
24 A zoo in-charge throws out an egg — it is lifeless (5) AZOIC {A}{ZOo}{IC}
25 Lady Lovelace is in the custody of two Frenchmen, milady (5) MADAM {M}{ADA}{M} I'm Adam!
26 Look both ways (4) PEEP <=>

GRID

No 11199, Thursday 25 Sep 2014, Incognito

Unlike Incognito at 20D, I used to tie up the pigtails on the bench while in school :-)

ACROSS
8   Underground creature usually concealed in a spy network (4) MOLE [DD]
9,14 Queen's sewing equipment is reportedly in Central Park, New York (10,6) CLEOPATRAS NEEDLE {CLEOPATRAS} {NEEDLE}

10 Ram set to run around small river (6) STREAM*
11,28 Firing hero found at Wild West show (8,4) SHOOTING STAR {SHOOTING} {STAR}
12,16 Chief's orb for an event on a ship (8,4) CAPTAINS BALL {CAPTAINS} {BALL}
17,18 Spy who took back seven hundred (5,4) JAMES BOND {007<=}
19 Unevenness of a curio (6) ODDITY [DD]
21 Propeller found by airhostesses, for example, after consuming a drop of sherry (8) AIRSCREW {AIR{Sherry}CREW}
23 Missile that journalist tracked went up suddenly (8) ROCKETED {ROCKET}{ED}
26 River site in a country that has many Poles (6) POLAND {PO}{LAND}

27 Restate ABC of clues and get the topmost card (3,2,5) ACE OF CLUBS* Topmost should be the 'Ace of Spades'!

DOWN
1   Against music group getting prohibited goods (10) CONTRABAND {CONTRA}{BAND}
2   Pedal around East Street and see support for 6 (8) PEDESTAL {PED{E}{ST}AL}
3   Camp in South India to get lobsters (6) SCAMPI {S{CAMP}{I}
4   Tenement where cats make sounds (4) MEWS [DD]
5   Puts in position after model men leave Jobs (8) APPOINTS APPOINtmenTS
6   Image of state around university (6) STATUE {STAT{U}E}
7   Chess piece to leave with uncle (4) PAWN [DD]
13 Dance in Sam Bahadur's times at town infamous for fake spy scandal (5) SAMBA [T & DD]
15 Light mandible or a large one like the Irish have (7,3) LANTERN JAW {LANTERN} {JAW}

17 Putting happiness over paste give some pilots' control (8) JOYSTICK {JOY}{STICK}
18 Support whip and get adverse reaction (8) BACKLASH {BACK}{LASH}
20 You could have dipped nib-pens or pigtails, of the girl in the bench before you, in this (6) INKPOT [CD]
22 I left pirates running around feast (6) REPAST PiRATES*
24 A story usually started with this earlier (4) ONCE [DD]
25 Returning murderer carried an instrument (4) DRUM [T<=]

GRID

No.11198, Wednesday 24 Sep 2014, Scintillator

Scintillator's day out at the haberdashers and accouterers ... But I seem to have lost my mojo ... time for a sabbatical, I think.  Great work from Scintillator!

Across
1 Annoyed about history neglecting Ottoman leader (6) SHIRTY (HISTORY-O)*

All cartoons by Rishi

 4 Preoccupied with love session in bed (8) OBSESSED (O B(SESS)ED)
9 Society exists amid international demand (6) INSIST (IN(S IS)T)
10 Communities of (no ordinary) fellow madmen (8) COLONIES (CO - LOONIES - O)
12 Sour warden with trousers down (3-5) OFF GUARD (OFF GUARD)
13 What's caught on without iodine? (6) -O---E GOITRE (GO(I)T RE) Please see comments
15 Garment, if from California, could be part of papal vestment (4) SOCK (CASSOCK - CA'S)

16 Complicity being involved in ugliest sin (10) GUILTINESS (UGLIEST SIN)*
19 Plants having extensive heads (5,5) BROAD BEANS (BROAD BEANS)
20 Content to have steady supply (4) -E-- VEST (T) Please see comments 

23 Struck lightly, caught in a ploy — and run out! (6) TAPPED (TRAPPED - R)
25 In verses, came across moral teaching about essence of duality (8) METRICAL (MET RI C AL)
27 Gently and extremely lovingly, pen a proposal at first (8) TENDERLY (TENDER LovinglY)
28 Combed wool from a breed of cattle (6) ---S-- JERSEY (2) Please see comments

29 Areas where public transport comes to a halt (3,5) BUS STOPS (CD/E)
30 At home with duo, set to play (4,2) TEED UP (~TEA?, anno not sure) USED TO (DUO SET)* See comments


Down
1 Men like Jack Sparrow with appeal based on one's baseless stories (7) SAILORS (SA I LORES - E)
2 Imprisoning of police officers as well, as per reports thereby (4,5) IPSO FACTO (IPS
3 Brood over to take legal action against paper (6) TISSUE (SIT< SUE)
5 Give profit or show the door (4) BOOT (2) not sure of =give profit

6 Cheap electronic circuitry, primarily, on old microphone (8) ECONOMIC (E C ON O MIC)
7 Steer clear of border (5) S-I--  SKIRT (2) See comments

8 Storms in the States described in Exodus tersely (7) DUSTERS (T)
11 Appropriate garment for lower body (7) TROUSER (CD,DD) &LIT, but I thought the item of clothing was always called trousers and not trouser. Another nit: Trouser/s appears in the clue for 12a

14 Foolish Ann fell for flattery (7) FLANNEL (ANN FELL)*

17 Daughter renounced, decried sex for a change and kept fit (9)  EXERCISED (DECRIED SEX - D)*
18 He read modern books portraying satellite (8) ADHERENT (HE READ NT)*
19 That dirty American boy outside cleaning area (7) BATHTUB (THAT* in BUB)
21 Cry on seeing Reynard in Mark's house (5,2) --L-- UP  TALLY HO (TALLY HO) See comments

22 Gives instructions to make cheese fries when unoccupied (6) -R---E BRIEFS (BRIE FS) See comments

24 Rubbish trash on sides of trashcans (5) PANTS (PAN TS)

26 Blunder by fielder near the keeper (4) SLIP (CD,DD)

 

GRID: