xChequer's as devious as ever !
Across
1 Twinkle' brought by girls, primarily young (7) GLITTER (G LITTER)
5 Part of it recalled in penny-dropping moment (7) SECTION (IT< in SECONd) d=penny
9 History dons opposed to old preliminary course (9) ANTIPASTO (PAST in ANTI O)
10 Normal illumination starting to fade by this time (5) NIGHT (N
11 Originally called to appear in very brief film (6) VENEER (NEE in VER
12 See 14 ac.
14 & 12 ac. Retired? Let's not weep for a change (4,2,5) WENT TO SLEEP (LETS NOT WEEP)*
15 Conspicuous sign fitted (10) NOTICEABLE (NOTICE ABLE)
19 Cases of controls being stretched if electricity gets disconnected? (5,5) POWER TRIPS (2)
20 Tied up a bird (2,2) AT IT (A TIT)
22 Grooms heartily dislike entering unfamiliar stores (7) OSTLERS (L in STORES)*
25 Rose, about to enter study (6) REARED (RE in READ)
27 Yawned and essentially slept on opening day (5) GAPED (GAP E D)
28 Attractive girl pouring heart out expressing love (9) GLAMOROUS (G
29 What you do with clues perhaps, exercise followed month and year over (7) DECRYPT (DEC YR< PT)
30 Potter frustrated with Hermione's original brain? (7) THINKER (TINKER H)*
Down
1 Fly spice to the North (4) GNAT (TANG<)
2 Familiar ground? Then I sound negative (2,3,4) IN THE KNOW ((THEN I)* ~NO)
3 Upset ending in a point (6) TIPPED (2)
4 Bank balance gives error, not good (9) RESERVOIR (GIVES ERROR - G)*
5 Brave small hawk (5) STOUT (S TOUT)
6 Tin case or another, round: may be fired (8) CANISTER (TIN CASE OR -O)*
7 Unmarried people stripped reaching fireplace (5) INGLE (
8 & 24dn. Organising the trip got nasty, not a pleasant situation (3,1,6,5) NOT A PRETTY SIGHT (THE TRIP GOT NASTY)*
13 Model mistreated over work involving dual parts (3-7) TWO PRONGED (T WRONGED over OP)
16 Key left in a mint by mistake (9) IMPORTANT (PORT in (A MINT)*)
17 As per rules, report purchase, contract, then record the charge (2,3,4) BY THE BOOK (~BUY THEn BOOK)
18 See 26 dn.
21 From ahimsa to rioting — sudden awakening (6) SATORI (T) New word for me
23 Issue sun hat to cycle (5) TOPIC (TOPI C)
24 See 8 dn.
26 & 18 dn. Easy to understand surely, if nerd gets clumsy (4-8) USER FRIENDLY (SURELY IF NERD)*
GRID
27 Yawned and essentially slept on opening day (5) GAPED (GAP E D) ??
ReplyDeleteGAP: opening
E: slEpt
D: day
Thanks. Missed the obvious!
Deleteessentially slept on opening = slEpt on GAP = GAPE (A on B = BA)
Delete+ D (Day)
I too had written a similar anno but there was a problem in it getting through.
DeleteAs Sandhya's anno appeared in the meanwhile, I did not try to repost my anno.
The point is: why should an anno be repeated by someone else so many minutes after one has been published - unless it indicates precisely what the add-on is?
Which is that A on B is BA (which I had mentioned in my unposted Comment).
DeleteI'm happy that Exch has been careful in that usage. (A on B = BA)
DeleteThanks Raghunath, though I must say (and have said earlier) that in an across clue, A on B can give AB or BA. I might end up with the alternate usage some other time!
DeleteOh yes and justify it by quoting from www.crosswordunclued.com ;-)
Delete9A 'dons' is used to mean 'puts on' or 'dresses in'
ReplyDelete10A &lit
Satori is a Japanese Buddhist term for awakening, "comprehension; understanding".
Nice puzzle. Some very good clues
ReplyDeleteIntelligent, apt and smile-producing surface reading in many clues; good anagram discoveries. A pleasurable experience in solving the puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI was writing my Comment before ranger's appeared.
ReplyDelete4D 'Balance' is used as AnagrInd.
ReplyDeleteHere, it is used in the context of 'arranging, adjusting or proportioning the parts symmetrically.
30 Potter frustrated with Hermione's original brain? (7) THINKER (TINKER H)*
ReplyDeleteDon't think it's an indirect anagram. Frustrate means to check/ block. IMO it is TINKER blocked with H. Could "by" have been a better word in place of "with"?
Had 'frustrated' been used as 'circumvented', then 'with' would not have been necessary.
DeleteHere, it means 'upset', 'agitated' or 'dashed'.
So, TINKER* with H = T(H)INKER* looks right.
in fact, 'frustrated' appears superfluous as 'with' is a containment indicator.
DeleteYou're right, I think. This seems better:
Delete30 Potter with Hermione's original brain? (7) T(H)INKER
Whatever you may say, 'with' is a weak c/c ind.
DeleteIt has been used quite a few times in THC earlier.
DeleteIs the clue an indirect anagram? I don't think Exc would resort to it.
'frustrate' used in the context of 'block' or 'prevent', so Raghunath's 09:13 is right. No containment or ind anag
DeleteI thought ABLE would be FIT can it be FITTED as well ?
ReplyDeleteAs per Chambers: capable, competent, fit, fitted, dexterous, adroit, deft, adept, proficient, qualified, practised, (adj)
DeleteThanks Raghu
DeleteI too initially had the same doubt as you.
DeleteRaghunath/Deepak
DeleteI can accept this only if an illustrative sentence is given. Please try!
"Fitted" is used as an adj. in the phrase "fitted bedsheets".
DeleteBut here fitted is not equal to 'able, competent'.
Think you have a valid point CV. Took it from the chamber's list, but may not be the best, though there's probably some usage that validates the dictionary entry. Perhaps someone else can help me out if so, but can't think of it myself right now
DeleteHere fitted if used before a word makes sense as 'competent, able' and not at the end. My grammar's pretty weak so unable to answer CV's challenge
DeleteIn any crossword dictionary or thesaurus or clue-sol dB, the suggestions are only suggestions: not always can we substitute one for another.
DeleteSome discretion on our part is needed.
- By one who might have come to grief on a rare occasion by doing exactly that. Didn't someone say Experience is a great teacher?
5 Brave small hawk (5) STOUT (S TOUT)
ReplyDeleteI took it as S+KITE which is also 'Brave' as per dic and flew off in the wrong direction.
But, if so, 'brave small' will only give KITE S, right?
DeleteI meant Brave = S KITE. Now I'm not able to find that word in the dictionary. Must have been seeing things.
DeleteNice enjoyable 'Decrypt'. My score is much better than my average for an xChequer puzzle. Of course, had some doubts about a few annos- cleared here.
ReplyDeleteHawk= tout- known well but does not come to mind easily.
ReplyDeleteA small doubt about 6D. How is 'O' deleted? Am I missing something?
ReplyDeleteRound may be fired.
DeleteRound may be fired, with the def on double duty
DeleteRaghu, another is anagrind , fodder is ' tin case or' from which O is deleted.
DeleteI got it after I posted and then deleted it. Thanks anyway.
DeleteI think the clue is an &lit
DeleteI don't think so. Case does double duty. Am I missing something here.
DeleteCanister is a case/ can which can (sorry for the repetition) be fired, so I think the whole clue 'can' be taken as the def.
Delete6D is a composite anagram
DeleteInteresting to see the various points of view, kudos to this blog. Intended as an &lit, the whole clue being the def. So, Raghu has it right again in my book. Generally avoid 'double duty' anyway
DeleteOn a similar note, 10a was also meant as a kind of &lit, the purists may be able to say which variety!
In 10A, I believe "by this time" does not contribute to wordplay. That would make it a semi &lit (as whole clue = definition)
Delete+1 to the tagline . every xChequer puzzle is a journey of discovery and delight.
ReplyDeleteThanks Shrikanth and cheers, we have to catch up again soon!
Deleteround (O) may be fired.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the role of the apostrophe after Twinkle in 1A?
ReplyDeleteI think the initial apo is missing; it may be a misprint at the publisher's end.
ReplyDeleteThe setter may have enclosed it in apos to indicate that he is thinking of a mag by that name (as can be guessed by the clue as a whole).
The mag is Tinkle, I think, not Twinkle
DeleteThat is possible. Or maybe the apostrophe itself is a misprint.
Delete'Twinkle' was in quotes, the leading one missed in publication as rightly observed by CV. A British comic paper for little girls running from late sixties to almost the turn of the century.
DeleteHappy Eid al-Adha Mohsin and others
ReplyDeleteEid Mubarak Mohsin
DeleteThanks for the wishes. Eid Mubarak to all
DeleteEid Mubarak, Mohsin
DeleteNice puzzle... Got almost all... but every enjoyable CANISTER was the COD for me... TANG comes up again (3rd special also had it).
ReplyDelete