Leaving the CW with some question marks as I have to make an early morning trip to the airport. A double Pangram (Addendum - Less I).
ACROSS
9 Take offence to umpire's support having lost middle of game (7) UMBRAGE UM{BRA}{G
10 Real confusion, former spouse returned with Regina's lotion (7) RELAXER {REAL*}{XE<=}{R}
11 Directs foreign office about operations... (7) FOCUSES {FO}{C}{USES}
12 ...on sailor having a large with close friends like animals (7) JACKALS {JACK}{A}{L}{S}
13 Launch weapon at captain (9) SPEARHEAD {SPEAR}{HEAD}
15 Oxford's also known as a city (5)
16 Vigilant against dog, run a program (2,5) ON GUARD*
19 Coats in English style has large shoulder cap (7) ENAMELS {E}{NAME}{L}{S}
20 Fancy Jaya short of sleep inside (5) JAZZY {JA{ZZ}Y
21 A person beyond criticism is ridiculously scared with women's company inside (6,3) SACRED COW {SACRED*} {CO}{W}
25 Staff allowed Latin wizard to return with a dish (7) CALZONE {CA{L}{ZO<=}NE}
26 Trust engineer's undertaking (7) BEQUEST {BE}{QUEST}
28 Whatever esteem holds is the peak (7) EVEREST [T]
29 For instance, test party leader with large note (7) EXAMPLE {EXAM}{P
DOWN
1 Drinks first quality, high-class coffee extract in hollow absinthe-glass (6) QUAFFS {Q
2 Probe cheats smuggling a tree (6) OBECHE [T]
3 Jack and Rose sank, according to sources in vessels (4) JARS Acrostic
4 General takes in oriental guards as tenant (6) LESSEE {L{E}{SS}EE}
5 Presume Juliet joined duper, wrong company (8) PREJUDGE {J+DUPER}*{GE}
6 Voters tolerate Chief Election Commissioner's blunders (10) ELECTORATE {TOLERATE+CEC}*
7 Cut former spouse about to fly leaving Italy (8) EXCAVATE {EX}{C}{AV
8 Encroach the well in lock (8) TRESPASS {TRE{SPA}SS}
14 Needy Mayor manipulated cash (5,5) READY MONEY*
16 Opposed to criminal job, easy so it's said by Edward (8) OBJECTED {JOB*}{EC(~e~c)}{TED}
17 Animals look to capture English learners with school head (8) GAZELLES {GAZ{E}{LL}E}{S}
18 Stressed about making sweets (8) DESSERTS*
22 At first, caught opening bat at point; Venkatramana's second ball, all out. Spinner's trap! (6) COBWEB {C}{O}{B}{W}{
23 Transport cabs leased out from cyberspace can be horrible (6) CREEPY
24 Conditions to let go one animal (6) WETHER WE
27 First question unknown alien yachting at the wharf (4) QUAY Acrostic
15a O S AKA
ReplyDelete15 Oxford's also known as a city (5) {O'S}{AKA}\
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete:P
DeleteSorry. The deleted message was:
DeleteVery unselfish of AD to let all and sundry to have a free reign today!
Thanks Ramesh and Sandhya
ReplyDeleteAny rethink on your opening comment?
DeleteOr do I see a hidden message?
DeleteI haven't looked
Deletehad a relook, it's a double pangram with the I missing!!
DeleteThat 'I' had left for the airport ;-) (Or so I construed)
Delete:-) that wasn't intended
Delete16 Opposed to criminal job, easy so it's said by Edward (8) OBJECTED {JOB*}{EC(~e~c)}{TED}
ReplyDeleteHomophone clues are always tricky. Not sure if EC ~ easy. Also 'so' is redundant.
Though {E}{C} translates to 'EASY' in this case it cannot be considered as a homophone as EC in the answer is not pronounced as 'EASY'
DeleteVery nice effort by AD. Trust him to come up with something like this.
ReplyDeleteThanks AD for samosas!
ReplyDeleteSelfless crossword from AD. Enjoyable
ReplyDeleteRaju Umamaheshwar @4.12pm dt.17.11.14: Thanks Raju, As you said correctly I had amassed more than 50 parker pens in the last 3 years by solving all the puzzles in Edex and Sunday Express and I gift them to my relatives'/friends' school/college going children whenever they visit us.
ReplyDeleteDouble emphasis on getting rid of one's ego :) So that's the hidden message.
ReplyDeleteGood follow up to yesterday's CW. Did better than it looked possible at first glance. Just a couple short of centum. Thank you AD for a good mental exercise.
ReplyDeleteNice puzzle from Afterdark. Got stuck in North-West corner and missed my samosas. :-(
ReplyDelete13A Definition needs to be highlighted pl.
ReplyDeleteJust got the net back. TH too was not delivered.
ReplyDeleteNice one, AD. A Doubt:
In 9a 'take offence' = take umbrage, so only offence would be the def
AD seems to like GE a lot ;-)
ReplyDeleteKishore still seems to be celebrating children's day or is it a weekly celebration? Looks nice,anyway- can continue.
ReplyDeleteRegression
DeleteIncidentally the snap was snipped out from a group photo taken c.1970 at my aunt's wedding reception at the Drive-in Woodlands at
DeleteMadras
Fond memories of Drive in! Used to be such a nice place,centrally located,,to meet and have some good food at leisure. We used to have Sunday b'fast meets regularly for a few years around the year you mentioned.
Delete9A cryptically right for picking of GE ?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Ajeesh. My above comment was wrt use of Company = GE in 3d yesterday and 5d today
DeleteI mean having lost middle of game doesn't quite convey to pick GE for me :-( also just* first* instead of *first of* as in 1D and to apply the same for entire words as in 27D.
DeleteWe have another GE today. Fortunately not Co.-so don't take umbrage!
ReplyDeleteAFTERDARK did SPEARHEAD the movement to bring something new in every crossword of his.
ReplyDeleteA lover of cricket, he is always ON GUARD to find something new.
How does he reach such positions like the EVEREST?
Well you see, he likes JAZZY songs and he framed the OSAKA clue when he was actually listening to this song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfheL9GfXLk
AD FOCUSES to give a RELAXER like this.
What an EXAMPLE he sets to others!!
Samosas for me today after a long time. Thanks After dark.
ReplyDeleteCGB back to business. Good & enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteAD_ seems to be server of samosas. I missed it narrowly today.