Extremely nice one from Arden. VALETUDINARIAN given his MARCHING ORDERS extremely nicely.
Across
1 A writing with intent rejected as something obnoxious (6) MIASMA (A MS AIM)<
4 Subtle hint, both public and individual (8) OVERTONE (OVERT ONE)
10 Spooner's wet - sillyhow the cat's wail (9) CATERWAUL (Spoonerism of WATER CAUL)
11 Not starting a meal with drug (5) UPPER (
12 Making cinemas makes one forgetful (7) AMNESIC (CINEMAS)*
13 It could be the turncoat's final motive (7) TREASON (
14 Head case loses quarter, becomes vacant (5) INANE (IN
15 Go down river, it's hard work (8) INDUSTRY (INDUS TRY)
18 Writer will follow on a 9/11 target (8) PENTAGON (PEN TAG ON)
20 May be allowed to cut a length for a pin (5) DOWEL ((ALLOWED-A L)*
23 Absolute time restriction, he says (7) UTTERER (UTTER ER
25 Way to collect English money for train (7) RETINUE (RUE with E TIN)
26 Sally - Juliet's relative (5) JAUNT (J AUNT)
27 Make it clear - drink will be rejected with salt (9) ELABORATE (ALE< BORATE)
28 Stay back with soldiers on board (8) BUTTRESS (BUTT RE SS)
29 Rise like money (6) ASCENT (AS CENT)
Down
1 Snake maiden, sometime rejects love (8) MOCCASIN (M OCCASIoN) which love to reject, the first or the second?
2 Feeler for a girl - she has to catch up (7) ANTENNA (ANNA has NET<)
3 Hoax about horses sent out (5,4) MARES NEST (MARES SENT*)
5 Hypochondriac - a natural and divine sort (14) VALETUDINARIAN (A NATURAL DIVINE)*
6 Wake up - we broke an egg (5) ROUSE (US in ROE)
7 You can't expect him to propose, in other words (7) OPPOSER (PROPOSE)* proposer on double duty?
8 Slip furthermore in mission (6) ERRAND (ERR AND)
9 One's told to go on issuing pink slips (8,6) MARCHING ORDERS (2)
16 Mess outside is revolting (9) SEDITIOUS (OUTSIDE IS)*
17 Turns turtle - in Paris is it the most flattering? (8) SLEEKEST (KEELS< EST)
19 Delegate with a measure of faith (7) ENTRUST (EN TRUST)
21 We have a girl - a born parvenu (7) WANNABE
22 State word play for 'an injection' (6) PUNJAB (PUN JAB)
24 Corrupt are said to be going around (5) ROTOR (~ROTTER)
GRID
2 Feeler for a girl - she has to catch up (7) ANTENNA (ANNA has NET)
ReplyDeleteFeel 'NET' needs reversal ind. in the anno pl.
Thanks, MB
Delete'Sleek' as adj, does have the sense of 'unctuous'. An unctuous person is full of praise, but in a way that is unpleasant because it is not sincere.
ReplyDeleteThanks. CV
Delete7D & lit ?? A rather tough one today.
ReplyDeleteI am not absolutely sure it is &lit. Leaving it to expert...
DeleteThe wordplay element is just "propose, in other words". Not quite an &lit
DeleteIn that clue 17ac, 'turns' seems to be doing double duty.
ReplyDeleteFor, keels - turns turtle.
And turns is the rev ind for 'keels' to become 'sleek'
Or should we take 'turns - keels and 'turtle' as rev ind?
turns turtle=keels over=keels< is what I thought
DeleteThink it is "keels over"
DeleteMmmmmmm..... a long way to go.
ReplyDelete"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Applicable to me too! :)
DeleteTo find the right step seems to be difficult!
Delete21 We have a girl - a born parvenu (7) WANNABE (WE have ANNA B) Anna from 2d in a double role!
ReplyDeleteThis Anna, I feel, is different one! Anna minus 'a' i.e. Ann! So the Anno could be {W(ANN)(A)(B)E}
You are right, MB
DeleteYou got eagle's eyes MB
ReplyDelete:)
Delete25 Way to collect English money for train (7) RETINUE (RUE with E TIN)
ReplyDeleteHow is RUE linked to WAY pl? Could it be WAY meaning ROUTE wherein we delete TO, to get RUE and then include in it E(nglish) money TIN?!
RUE is a Street/Road in French
DeleteThanks, Col Sir. But no French connection ind here!
Delete"French way to collect English money for train" would have stopped me from referring OED and Free Dic etc!!
DeleteRue De Duplex is Duplex street in Pondichery- till recently. I think now it is called J. Nehru st.
DeleteAs in the famous Poe story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue".
ReplyDeleteThanks, CV SIR. :)
DeleteEnjoyable puzzle from Arden - a few tough clues and at least one word where I had to confirm the spelling (VALETUDINARIAN), but thoroughly fair and accessible clueing. My only niggle is the homophone in 24 - rotter and ROTOR are pronounced very differently!
ReplyDeleteThank you to Arden, and to Kishore for the blog.
This word I came across first in college when I read Oscar Wilde's 'The Importance of Being Earnest' which is about a valetudinarian who tries to obtain constant medical attention.
DeleteAbhay, i had parsed 24d as hp of ROT ARE ~ Rotor
DeleteOT: Talking of "fair and accessible clueing", today's ET crossword has 7 clues that are either CD or DD with no wordplay at all! Not very difficult clues - the puzzle as a whole is rather easy today - but 7/31 clues having no wordplay is definitely not "fair clueing", IMO.
ReplyDeleteHi All, will be off the radar till month end. May occasionally drop in.
ReplyDeleteOff on one of your trips into wilderness?
ReplyDeleteTough but very enjoyable one from Arden... Managed to get almost all except Sleekest, miasma, moccasin and caterwaul.. Many lovely clues! Thank you Arden
ReplyDeleteWonderful wordplay. I just cant believe that I have made it.With much difficulty only I could crack 20,28a &17d thanks to eclectic choice of words in echelon- like arrangement. A well rounded puzzle. Thanks Arden.
ReplyDeleteMake it clear - drink will be rejected with salt (9) ELABORATE (ALE< BORATE)-- The word play on Borate as a salt is very clever indeed !! hence, this is the clue of my day .
ReplyDeleteVALEDUTINARIAN-- talk of long word ! Reminded me of HONOURIFICABILITUDINITATIBUS !!!
This sub-zero weather in NY can turn any one into a VALETUDINARIAN !!!
ReplyDeletewatz the odds i wonder of valets turning out as valetudinarians .. er maybe after marching ? :)
ReplyDelete