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]
Why does 4A need 'Current'?
ReplyDeleteIt certainly put me off- track.
DeleteShould 27A be 'with' or 'without'?
ReplyDeleteI think it's w/o.
DeleteIt is with. If you add RE to verse it becomes Reversed = turned, otherwise knowledgeable
DeleteThe clue as it is written doesn't work like that in my opinion
Delete27 With rigorous effort primarily, turned knowledgeable (6) VERSED
Delete[With R... E... turned(reversed)] is the wordplay equating to the answer i.e VERSED so with RE + RE VERSED = VERSED?
Typical SKD fare. Bit difficult:
ReplyDelete3 In need of sleep, for starters, for relaxing (7) LACKING [relaxing=Sleep + LACKING] Not sure the wordplay instruction comes out cleanly.
Also acronym ind for S is "lacking", if "for starters" is a position ind.
Cartoonists taken the weekend off?
ReplyDelete3D, I think it's SLACKING - S, with starters meaning, the first letter of S and the same S going to the start
ReplyDeleteAnyway you look at it one of the two is "lacking"(either acronym or position ind).
Delete27A With rigorous effort primarily, turned // knowledgeable (6) VERSED, knowlegeable [with RE (Rigorous Effort) = REVERSED, turned]
ReplyDelete3D In need of // sleep, for starters, for relaxing (7) LACKING [with S (Sleep) = SLACKING, relaxing]
Both clues appear to be in the same mould.
Many good clues - clever play on dome/temple in 21a, seal in 26a. I share the doubts on 3d, 19d, 4a, 27a.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have news of Kishore's whereabouts? Unusual to have a mail unanswered by him over a day, and not see him on THCC either.
As far as I know he is still in Blore. He replied to a mail when I sent him one last morning
DeleteJust got my net back after the rains. Thanks, all, for yesterday's comments which I just saw.
Delete@ Raju: When my quota increased from 1 to 2, I had said that one puzzle in a cycle might be slightly tougher. However, the presence or absence of the theme would not affect a solver when he solves clues. It does not make it tougher. If he gets the theme, then it might help him on his way to make some clues easier, not tougher. What usually makes it tougher is either uncommon words or very ingenious clues. I think no one is crediting me with either of these.
Yesterday palindromes helped me in getting a few words which otherwise I might have found tougher or at least taken more time. If one latches on to the theme, it certainly helps.
DeleteThe last line of my above comment is not a complain about not non credit. I think it is better worded as 'No one is blaming me for either using uncommon words or ingenious clues'
DeleteSorry to bring in yesterday's wine today.
Deepak, a mail that was sitting from yesterday in my Outbox has been sent to you just now.
DeleteSaw it
DeleteWith rigorous effort primarily, turned knowledgeable (6)
ReplyDelete'turn' is a verb both t. and i.t.
So, knowledgeable (VERSED), with RE, [became] turned (REVERSED).
What is the problem here?
In last months, 2 by Regson at Crossword Centre:
ReplyDeleteSpot old lady returning potato to Cuba
Grid, clue number and enu are all not given. But that is not the only surprise element in this clue
Crossword Centre's latest puzzle is out:
Deletehttp://www.crossword.org.uk/military.html
The grid is radial with letters in inner circles probably being shared by words.
These are the instructions:Radial clues should be entered inwards or outwards. For thematic reasons three times more head in than come out. Circles can be read clockwise or anti-clockwise. The second circle from the centre gives the situation (2 words) and participants (2 words). The fifth circle from the centre consists of two quotations (ODQ) both five words long. Every clue has a redundant letter produced by the wordplay. These, read in clue order, give an instruction. 26 is uncommon (confirmed by Webster) and 38 is in ODE.
Wow!
The clue given above might really be a samosa clue for the original samosa lady. Dr Gayatri, if you are reading this you will certainly agree.
DeleteAs far as the grid is concerned, I have solved similar puzzles by Hex in US periodicals.
DeleteIt is interesting how a single letter can make a great deal of difference to the meaning of a word, as in the two words - ingenious and ingenuous.
ReplyDeleteIngenious derives from the Latin word ingenium, which means a natural capacity or talent. It means clever, original or inventive. It is from this word that we get engine. A talented or clever person could be described as ingenious.
The word Ingenuous derives from another Latin word, ingenuus, meaning native or freeborn. It means innocent, artless, simple and unsuspecting, perhaps in a childlike way. While once it meant candid, frank or honourable, today, the word often has more negative overtones. It does not, however, mean clever or creative.
Nice crossword. Think I took a bad day to come to bangalore :-(
ReplyDeletePrimarily Joint Jurisdiction problems
DeleteDoubling every 6 years, 66x2x2x2=528. vs.100= !
Delete19A is probably EVICTED= turned out, but still the anno is hazy
ReplyDeleteAbove is gridless,so crossings might be wrong
DeleteWon't fit as it clashes with 22A
DeleteEJECTED fits crossing and definition, but victory sign=J ???
DeleteUnless J means jai
DeleteOr 22A is POSTIT
ReplyDeleteMohsin and Shuchi rule the roost at IXL
ReplyDelete