This one was real fun, Mac! Looks like 6a was consumed for Onam by people who speak 1d
ACROSS
6 Sweet, cheesy sides (5) CANDY (C AND Y)
8 Presentation made by expert with insight (9) PROVISION (PRO VISION)
10 Scan cervix to reveal tumour (6) CANCER (T)
11 It sways a couple of people, unduly dumb at heart (8) PENDULUM (PE NDUL UM)
12 They take chances with nasty lab germs (8) GAMBLERS (LAB GERMS)
13 It attends to your pressing needs (4) IRON (CD)
15 Unfortunate student caught between difficult phases (7) HAPLESS (L in PHASES*)
17 Regular learner follows many classes (7) GENERAL (GENERA L)
20 Bird's dirty, by the sound of it (4) FOWL (~FOUL)
22 Awfully bad Indian leader, tyrannic, ultimately had to relinquish his throne (8) ABDICATE (BAD* I C ATE)
25 High-pitched cry she made, as insect got in, leaving stains all over the place (8) SCREECHY ((CRY SHE)* with EC(= AS INSECT-STAINS) inside)
26 Rough path, according to hearsay (6) COARSE (~COURSE)
27 Time of the day shortly after 12 and before 3 (9) AFTERNOON (CD with cross ref to 3d)
28 Conclusion about me is correct (5) EMEND (END about ME)
DOWN
1 Language doesn't change, in retrospect (9) MALAYALAM <-> (CD)
2 Come up with revolutionary work in writing (7) PROPOSE (OP< in PROSE)
3 Steady diet served up around dusk (8) EVENTIDE (EVEN DIET*)
4 Counterfeit “No Dues Pending” letters overturned (6) PSEUDO (T<)
5 Gathering for everyone in shape (5) FORUM (U in FORM)
7 Sound measure to deal with bed lice (7) DECIBEL (BED LICE)*
9 Woody growth in the middle of road (4) TREE (sTREEt)
14 Supporters of corrupt aspirants (9) PARTISANS (ASPIRANTS)*
16 Utter crazy cheat close to treasure that might be found in a large chest (8) SILICONE (~SILLY CON E) My COD
Boy, Oh Boy! And here I was innocently thinking of chests like the one from Treasure Island which had 15 men on it
18 Burst out at former partner with misplaced malice, for the most part (7) EXCLAIM (EX MALICe*)
19 Honey! Look north! It's a wondrous place! (7) BABYLON (BABY LO N)
If one looks North of Babylon, one can see land that IS on an as IS where IS basis
21 The first one in the batting order is key (6) OPENER (2)
23 Dismissal for 0, or maybe 20 (4) DUCK (DD with cross ref. to FOWL in 20a)
24 Show contempt for Starbucks' coffee extract (5) SCOFF (T)
GRID
ACROSS
6 Sweet, cheesy sides (5) CANDY (C AND Y)
8 Presentation made by expert with insight (9) PROVISION (PRO VISION)
10 Scan cervix to reveal tumour (6) CANCER (T)
11 It sways a couple of people, unduly dumb at heart (8) PENDULUM (PE NDUL UM)
12 They take chances with nasty lab germs (8) GAMBLERS (LAB GERMS)
13 It attends to your pressing needs (4) IRON (CD)
15 Unfortunate student caught between difficult phases (7) HAPLESS (L in PHASES*)
17 Regular learner follows many classes (7) GENERAL (GENERA L)
20 Bird's dirty, by the sound of it (4) FOWL (~FOUL)
22 Awfully bad Indian leader, tyrannic, ultimately had to relinquish his throne (8) ABDICATE (BAD* I C ATE)
26 Rough path, according to hearsay (6) COARSE (~COURSE)
27 Time of the day shortly after 12 and before 3 (9) AFTERNOON (CD with cross ref to 3d)
28 Conclusion about me is correct (5) EMEND (END about ME)
DOWN
1 Language doesn't change, in retrospect (9) MALAYALAM <-> (CD)
2 Come up with revolutionary work in writing (7) PROPOSE (OP< in PROSE)
3 Steady diet served up around dusk (8) EVENTIDE (EVEN DIET*)
4 Counterfeit “No Dues Pending” letters overturned (6) PSEUDO (T<)
5 Gathering for everyone in shape (5) FORUM (U in FORM)
7 Sound measure to deal with bed lice (7) DECIBEL (BED LICE)*
9 Woody growth in the middle of road (4) TREE (
14 Supporters of corrupt aspirants (9) PARTISANS (ASPIRANTS)*
16 Utter crazy cheat close to treasure that might be found in a large chest (8) SILICONE (~SILLY CON E) My COD
Boy, Oh Boy! And here I was innocently thinking of chests like the one from Treasure Island which had 15 men on it
18 Burst out at former partner with misplaced malice, for the most part (7) EXCLAIM (EX MALIC
19 Honey! Look north! It's a wondrous place! (7) BABYLON (BABY LO N)
If one looks North of Babylon, one can see land that IS on an as IS where IS basis
21 The first one in the batting order is key (6) OPENER (2)
23 Dismissal for 0, or maybe 20 (4) DUCK (DD with cross ref. to FOWL in 20a)
24 Show contempt for Starbucks' coffee extract (5) SCOFF (T)
GRID
Pardon the math!
ReplyDeleteNice one from Mac. No Monday blues! Satisfactory solving. :)
ReplyDeleteA small doubt reg 6 Across. CANDY. How do you account for AND pl?
C and Y are the two sides of CheesY
DeleteKnew about C and Y being the two sides of CheesY. My doubt was reg 'AND'. Now I get it. (C and Y) when brought together becomes (CANDY) ! Thank you. :)
DeletePardon my cheesy way of putting it
Delete:)
DeleteI had a teeny-weeny doubt about aptness of def. in 23d. I thought duck=0, out for a duck is out for 0. Then def. will be in the middle.
ReplyDeleteI read it as-
ReplyDeleteDismissal for a 0- Duck (or to be out for a duck)
20A- Fowl- Duck
Does it become a DD?
Me!,
ReplyDeleteIt is a bad Indian leader, after all !
Over my dead body, he/she would say!
DeleteIs it a way to 'scoff' at a recent opening at Velachery, Chennai?! I was told there was a long queue to get in!
ReplyDelete25A- with 'she made' being part of the clue, I filled in screamed and got into trouble there.
ReplyDeleteNice neat puzzle from Mac.
ReplyDeleteAgree with Kishore's observation about the Def for DUCK in 23d. Out for a 'o' is not same as 'duck'.
I felt the silicone implant def could have been a bit more clearer.
I think Duck = out for 0 seemed all right. Plus like Padmanabhan @9.15 mentioned, I took it as a DD.
Delete>> I felt the silicone implant def could have been a bit more clearer.
Like?
Mebbe he wanted a word rhyming with chest
DeleteYou'll have to ask their supporters about that!
DeleteFeedback is good and important for setters. And this blog is one of (if not the only) the few avenues available. I just felt that comment was vague, so was seeking elaboration.
DeleteDG 953
DeleteWhat brass?!
Re: Silicone.
DeleteHad a problem with the indirect homophone fodder, the word for which did not come immediately to mind. I suppose one you get it the def is adequate.
IMO out for a duck is not = duck, unless you are referring to Wide world of Sports' (Channel 9) duck going across the screen when the batsman is out for no score.
Swayed by the 'pendulum' clue. Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteLiked the ref. to 'As IS ehere IS' for 18D.
ReplyDeleteGood stuff Mac, nice flowing crossword.
ReplyDelete27a was the only one I wasn't sure about. Apart from 'after' in the clue, I thought the part following 12 was not needed to solve it. after 12 = afternoon right?
I'd say that's why the part following 12 was put in the clue - it makes the clue more cryptic. Without it, the answer is easier to arrive at. With it, there is an additional wordplay element involved and the solver has to figure out that one number is part of the definition, the other part of the wordplay.
DeleteSomewhat like using a roundabout definition when a direct one would do, or using a triple definition when a double would do.
Nice crossword Mac!
Problem with 'after' still remains.
DeleteTime of the day = AFTERNOON
Deleteshortly after 12 = AFTERNOON
and
before 3(eventide) = AFTERNOON
What I meant was 'after' is in the answer and the fodder also.
DeleteGood one Mac. Loved it.
ReplyDeleteWell chosen indicators, no superfluous words and few original takes like pendulum .. A bit on the easy side but thoroughly satisfying .. Thanks Mac
ReplyDelete11A - Where is the deletion indicator for 'unduly' to become 'ndul' - I am not getting. Somebody enlighten me pl
ReplyDeleteUnduly at heart - middle letters are NDUL : )
DeleteAt heart applicable to both words?
ReplyDeleteIs it not too stretchy?
ReplyDeleteI Don't see a problem .. As an adverb it could naturally apply to any number of adjacent bits of fodder.. : )
DeleteFrom thefreedictionary.com:
DeleteAdj. 1. screechy - having or making a high-pitched sound such as that made by a mouse or a rusty hinge
squeaking, squeaky, squealing, screaky
high-pitched, high - used of sounds and voices;high in pitch or frequency
I think you're talking about an other clue ragunath.. I meant that 'at heart' is used as an adverb to apply to both 'unduly' and 'dumb' : )
DeleteOops! I misread stretchy? in "Is it not too stretchy?" as screechy, as you pointed out.
DeleteSmooth surfaces, entertaining wordplay, a few tricky definitions - thank you for a good time, Mac!
ReplyDeleteI am not too convinced by 27a, but that is nitpicking given the quality of the rest of the clues.
Thanks to the blogger and the cartoonists too!
[Insert Aakash Sridahar's comment at 11:11 here]
ReplyDeleteBad, naughty boys!
ReplyDeleteA compliment well earned ;-)
ReplyDeleteenjoyed solving , smooth and entertaining
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments. And sorry for the late reply (was out of town until now). A few clarifications:
ReplyDeleteRe DUCK --- "A score of 0" is probably more accurate. And it is a DD, with ref. to 20A (fowl) as the additional def.
Re AFTERNOON --- Also a DD, with ref. to 3D (eventide) as the additional def. The main def is "Time of the day shortly after 12". Completely missed the reuse of 'after' in the clue. Could have gone with a synonym. I don't see much wrong with the extended def, though (as opposed to the direct 'time of the day' ).