Wednesday 30 September 2015

No 11513, Wednesday 30 Sep 2015, Gridman


ACROSS
1   Deliver supplies in a down-to-earth manner (7) AIRDROP [CD]
5   Black stuff over luxury car in enclosure (6) CORRAL {CO{RR}AL}
9   Incomplete mark following operation of the eye (5) OPTIC {OP}{TICk}
10 Support primarily silky feathers for chickens out? (5,4) BACKS DOWN {BACKS} {DOWN}
11 Stumble on oil spills in a Mediterranean port (7) TRIPOLI {TRIP}{OIL*}
12 As a point of fact, pounds were exchanged for rupee by insurance statistician (7) ACTUARY ACTUA(-ll+r)RY
13 Fabric gathered from two world cities, in short (5) NYLON {NewYork}{LONdon}
14 Chief newspaperman on holiday is intercepted (6,3) HEADED OFF {HEAD}{ED} {OFF}
16 Was the meat delivered in a sort of clumsy way? (3-6) HAM-HANDED {HAM}-{HANDED}
19 Extremely cold: river bird stopped short (5) POLAR {PO}{LARk}
21 Reportedly forsake dry land (7) DESSERT Wordplay only, no sweet?
23 Put a name to warrant (7) ENTITLE [DD]
24 Thus a human standing up finds balance (2,3,4) ON TWO LEGS [CD]
25 A face in the filmi crowd (5) EXTRA [CD]
26 One bit for each one (6) APIECE {A}{PIECE}
27 Involve brother in lime-squashing (7) EMBROIL {BRO} in {LIME}*

DOWN
1   This should provide more than a toehold for you to make an entry (1,4,2,3,4) A FOOT IN THE DOOR [CD]
2   New hearing of revised trailer (7) RETRIAL*
3   Artist’s small measure on overworking animal (7) RACCOON {RA}{CC}{O}{ON}
4   Out at the bar, the woman in cover (9) PUBLISHED {PUB}{LI{SHE}D}
5   Two companies produce a shade of brown (5) COCOA {CO}{CO}{A}
6   Gridman, for one, last now first, given round badge of honour (7) ROSETTE {O} in {(+r)RSETTE(-r)}
7   Fruit brought by a village officer to California party (7) AVOCADO {A}{VO}{CA}{DO}
8   Asset of a punctilious pupil in the proofreading department (2,3,3,6) AN EYE FOR DETAIL [CD]
15 One receiving a garment in the river (9) ADDRESSEE {A}{D{DRESS}EE}
17 Bypass rising favourite — it’s bad move (7) MISSTEP {MISS}{TEP<=}
18 Shock a bit terrifying (7) AWESOME {AWE}{SOME}
19 Lead, taking different cookery ingredient (7) POTHERB {P{OTHER}B}
20 Free attempt after title dispensation (3,2,2) LET IT GO {LET IT}* {GO}
22 “What I am really like” — that's dominant idea (5) THEME {THE}{ME}

GRID

Tuesday 29 September 2015

No 11512, Tuesday 29 Sep 2015, Mac


Where's Exa?

ACROSS
6   She's covered in glitter (5) SHINE {SH{IN}E}
8   Partner played cello, a stringed instrument (9) COLLEAGUE {CELLO}*{A}{GUE}
10 Rodent let loose to frighten (6) RATTLE {RAT}{LET*}
11 Islamic ruler caught blaspheming in the extreme had to leave the country for good (8) EMIGRATE {EMI{b...nG}R}{ATE}
12 GRE: an exam to unearth the most exceptional (8) GREATEST {GRE}{A}{TEST}
13 Alone and very depressed, reportedly (4) SOLO (~so low)
15 Discipline shown by criminal lacking sense of right or wrong? On the contrary! (7) SCIENCE conSCIENCE
17 A Frenchman residing in a shack is embarrassed (7) ASHAMED {A}{SH{A}{M}ED}
20 Poster boy's sick (4) BILL {B}{ILL}
22 Popular setter (yours truly) overwhelmed by words of appreciation and warmth (8) INTIMACY {IN}{T{I}{MAC}Y}
25 Rodent often heard to live in murky waters (5,3) SEWER RAT {hEaRd} in {WATERS}*
26 Danger posed by mad hatter (6) THREAT*
27 Immature bachelor left work, ran away with girl instead (9) UNFLEDGED {UN(-w+fled+g){FLED}{G}ED}
28 Support black people (5) BRACE {B}{RACE}

DOWN
1   The racist resorted to histrionics (9) THEATRICS*
2   Pious man taken in by attractive girl's openness (7) HONESTY {HONE{ST}Y}
3   Large, trimmed hips borne by otherwise small figures (8) ELLIPSES {EL{L}{hIPs}SE}{S}
4   Mysterious allure of acclaim (6) LAUREL*
5   Relatives haunt sis's house (5) AUNTS [T]
7   Measure the concentration of a solution as solvent at the bottom is replaced with new inorganic compound (7) NITRATE (-t+n)NITRATE
9  Function held in cafeteria (4) FETE [T]
14 Impedance can create complication (9) REACTANCE*
16 State of agitation following coal-gate; UPA ultimately not involved (8) COLORADO {COaL}{OR}{ADO}
18 In rebellion, married sweetheart (7) ADMIRER*
19 Unusually tense about turning 11 — an important age for an adolescent (7) SIXTEEN {TENSE}* about {IX<=}
21 Adulterous Irish princess misused sensuality without any hint of shame (6) ISEULT SEnsUaLITy*
23 Songbird, one South American little creature (4) TITI {TIT}{1}
24 Medium / medium-small (5)  MEANS {MEAN}{S}

GRID

Monday 28 September 2015

No 11511, Monday 28 Sep 2015, Spinner


ACROSS
1   Online app built loosely without user interface marker (4-5,3) BALL-POINT PEN {ONLINE+APP+BuiLT}*
10 System with mass data transmission device (5) MODEM {MODE}{M}
11 Controlled by bowling maiden to destructive opener at the start (9) DOMINATED {MAIDEN+TO}*{De...e} (Addendum - {De...e}{MAIDEN+TO}* - See comments)
12 Hidden segment of wall at entrance (6) LATENT [T]
13 Two points followed by zero — Convert message to code (8) ENCIPHER {E}{N}{CIPHER}
15 Ordered trainee to adapt (9) ORIENTATE*
16 US Open ends Serena's exploits (4) USES {US}{Ends}{Se...a}
20 Gemstone ring has raised segment (4) OPAL {O}{PAL<=}
21 They pronounce remission of sins regularly, maybe to people attempting this puzzle (9) ABSOLVERS {mAyBe}{SOLVERS}
24 Standards of setter satisfy some specifications, not others, ultimately! (8) MEASURES {ME}{ASsURES} (Addendum - {ME}{ASsURE}{S} - See comments)
26 Quite insignificant to protect right (6) PRETTY {P{R}ETTY}
28 Huge amount (A lot, in other words) invested in components of a deck (9) CARTLOADS {A+LOT}* in {CARDS}
29 Central Bank to come together with sponsor (5) ANGEL {bANk}{GEL}
30 Bowler's trick resolved problem of number 1's delivery not coming through? (7,5) WRITERS BLOCK*

DOWN
2   Places where speeches maybe made to listener about first class (9) AUDITORIA {AUDITOR}{1A<=}
3   Cried with editor after poor book (8) LAMENTED {LAME}{NT}{ED}
4   Advantage of drawing diamond/spade initially (4) ODDS Acrostic
5   Henchman kidnaps a model following 'no' to proposal (10) NOMINATION {NO}{MIN{A}{T}ION}
6   Wordplay preceding definition's top! It's expert!(6) PUNDIT {PUN}{De...n}{IT}
7   “Nick Knight's returning to coach” : Insider exclusive! (5) NOTCH {N}{OT<=}{CoacH}
8   Enough beer to entertain politician (5) AMPLE {A{MP}LE}
9   Post administration's first-day cover (7) ADDRESS {Ad...n}{D}{DRESS}
14 Draw on capturing bishop with horse from the same side (10) STABLEMATE {STA{B}LEMATE}
17 Calculated target is off by hundred (9) STRATEGIC {TARGET+IS}*{C}
18 Adding old money to small amount makes it an excessive amount (3,4) TOO MUCH {T{O}{M} OUCH}
19 Set of deliveries by transport service (8) OVERHAUL {OVER}{HAUL}
22 Eyes finally on clue set by Spinner (6) NUCLEI {oN}{CLUE*}{I}
23 Set extremely crafty clue not understood at first (5) CYCLE {CraftY}{CLuE}
25 Bolt, leading after running rapidly, obviously wins ! (5) ARROW Acrostic
27 Fool has thousand questions (4) ASKS {AS{K}S}

GRID

Sunday 27 September 2015

The Sunday Crossword (2860), Sunday 27 Sep 15


ACROSS
1   Broadcast omits a cub, extremely small (9) SUBATOMIC*
6   Story reversed within eighty minutes (4) MYTH [T<=]
8   Commercial cars and farm vehicles, carbon-free? They'll manage (14) ADMINISTRATORS {AD}{MINIS}{TRAcTORS}
10 Annoying one in front of king and son in capital city (7) IRKSOME {1}{R{K}{S}OME}
11 Crumbly crisp coating that is more strongly flavoured (7) SPICIER {SPIC{IE}R*}
12 Voice necessary to debate normally (5) TENOR [T]
14 Post-Victorian dawn I read about (9) EDWARDIAN*
16 Problem with fraud United Nations beat (9) CONUNDRUM {CON}{UN}{DRUM}
18 Dreams ending in rubble in skips (5) HOPES {HOP{r...lE}S}
20 Deeds in parties lacking force (7) ACTIONS fACTIONS
22 Large alien with soft feathers? It's a disappointment (3-4) LET-DOWN {L}{ET}-{DOWN}
24 Play new role in judo team (5,3,6) ROMEO AND JULIET*
25 Slip in small joke (4) SKID {S}{KID}
26 State perfect answer, suppressing wrong ones (9) MINNESOTA {MIN{ONES*}T}{A}

DOWN
1   Analyst of data that's roughly intact as it is (12) STATISTICIAN*
2   Yokel having impact on family (7) BUMPKIN {BUMP}{KIN}
3   Colour and energy in dance (5) TANGO {TAN}{GO}
4   Soldier, using aromatic substance with hesitation, receiving support (9) MUSKETEER {MUSK}{E{TEE}R}
5   Run into police group (5) CORPS {CO{R}PS}
6   Parade involving endless trouble for powerful woman (9) MATRIARCH {MA{TRIAl}RCH}
7   Interim changes for stations (7) TERMINI*
9   Substantial artist holding positions popular as singer and actor (5,7) FRANK SINATRA {F{RANKS}{IN}AT}{RA}
13 Recording's first tune does sadly deteriorate (3,2,4) RUN TO SEED {Re...g}{TUNE+DOES}*
15 I'm drained, enthralled by upset today in tennis tournament (9) WIMBLEDON {W{IM}{BLED}ON<=}
17 Overall employment system (7) NETWORK {NET}{WORK}
19 Volume is in poor, distressed condition (7) PROVISO {PRO{V}{IS}O*}
21 Star initially followed by ardent crowd (5) SWARM {Star}{WARM}
23 Clubs in genuine agreement to end hostilities (5) TRUCE {TRU{C}E}

Saturday 26 September 2015

No 11510, Saturday 26 Sep 2015, Aspartame


Across

6 Free from relative finally leaving to receive spa treatment (7) UNCLASP {UNCLe}{ASP*}
7 Detectives return with pest control to be free from germs (7) ASEPTIC {A{SEPT*}IC<=}
9 Bodily discharge doctor got back from restroom (5) DROOL {DR}{OOL<=}
10 A temple is shot to show a cinematography technique (4-5) TIME LAPSE {A TEMPLE IS}*
11 Jujitsu Namibians showcase is a force to be reckoned with (7) TSUNAMI (T)
13 Studying for a bachelor’s degree with a political group in Africa (6) UGANDA {UG}{A}{NDA}
15 Boy, after starting to enjoy a pork product, takes second helping by showing a sign (7, 6) BELISHA BEACON {B}{rELISH}{A} {B{hElping}ACON} Needed the net for this

19 Challenge work attitude (6) OPPOSE {OP}{POSE}
20 Spooner’s son leaves for England probably to find a promoter (7) SPONSOR {SPOON(-e+S)R*}
23 Same as knack,// skill (9) TECHNIQUE (DD)
24 Report on food joint in the city (5) DELHI {~DELI}
26 Flower found in France, central Greece and most of Asia being cultivated (7) FREESIA {FR}{grEEce}{ASIa*}

27 One line composed into a verse (7) LEONINE {ONE LINE}*

Down

1 Repeat // a phonetic alphabet (4) ECHO (DD)
2 Dial a helpline primarily to order flower (6) DAHLIA {DIAL A Helpline}*

3 See brilliance at centre stage (9) SPOTLIGHT {SPOT}{LIGHT}
4 Ailment that’s relapsing in vulgar gal — leprosy (8) PELLAGRA (T<=)
5 Salary one spent for posh house with broken walls. It’s unreal! (10) STUPENDOUS {ST(-i+U)PEND}{hOUSe}
6 Notify and // improve standards (6) UPDATE (DD)
7 Top star got top medal (4) ACME {AC{Medal}E}
8 Timely relation that twins share? (6) COEVAL (CD)
12 Surprisingly, peacekeepers (except editor) are trading PC components (10) UNEXPECTED {UN}{EX(-c+P)E(-p+C)T}{ED}
14 Embarrassingly awful delay while holding party (9) ABASHEDLY {A{BASH}EDLY*}
16 Inn’s eats used most nuts (8) INSANEST {INN'S EATS}*
17 Approximately half of sorbet and toffee is consumed (4, 2) SORT OF {SORbet T OFfee}
18 Highest promotion and salary increment? Congratulations! (6) PRAISE {Prom...n}{RAISE}
21 Film // an alumnus (3, 3) OLD BOY (DD)
22 Band // colour (4) AQUA (DD)
25 Network carrying current has been placed (4) LAIN {LA{I}N}

Reference list

Detectives=CIA, Doctor=Dr, Political group=NDA, Boy=B, Work=Op, Son=S, England=E, France=Fr
One=I, Posh=U, Peacekeepers=UN, Editor=Ed, Network=LAN, Current=I

Color/Font Scheme

Definition,Solution,Component letters,Anagram Indicator,C/C indicator,Reversal Indicator,Hidden word IndicatorLetter Pick indicator,Deletion Indicator,Homophone Indicator,Movement Indicator,Positional Indicator,Substitution Indicator

GRID

Friday 25 September 2015

No 11509, Friday 25 Sep 2015, Afterdark


On a tour of Indian states with Afterdark.

ACROSS
1   Lunatic prayed Shah to reorganise central region (6,7) MADHYA PRADESH {MAD}{PRAYED+SHAH}*
10 Nanny's surname misspelt on ID (9) NURSEMAID {SURNAME*}{ID}
11 Concentrate first on career, upliftment, service primarily (5) FOCUS Acrostic
12 Dye layer is on new attire's tip (5) HENNA {HEN}{New}{At...e}
13 State of tragic hero in Indian epic at odds with king; sad essentially (9) KARNATAKA {KARNA}{AT*}{K}{sAd}
14 City Banks union follows advisory with keenness (6) ACUITY {C{U}ITY} after {A}
16 First smoke joint, float! No much bigger (4) SHIP {Sm..e}{HIP}
19 Gym cashier contributing to a non-profit organisation, say (4) YMCA [T] Enu should have been (1,1,1,1)
20 No luck breaking open (6) UNLOCK*
25 King's call up decoded in ship to procure headgears (9) SKULLCAPS {S{K}{CALL+UP}*S}
26 Jump a car without power/energy (5) CAPER {CA{P}{E}R}
27 L Sign (5) LIBRA [CD]
28 Buzzer gives a large projection to account for low loss at the beginning (5,4) ALARM BELL {A}{L}{ARM} {BE}{Low}{Loss}
29 Good cocktail, drunk stores Ohio for shots, but not in the air (6,7) GROUND STROKES {G}{ROUND} {STRO{K}ES*} Anno not clear, K for Ohio? (Addendum - {G}{DRUNK+STORES}* around {O} - See comments)

DOWN
2   Agony aunt is after a point made by radical Ohio pilot (8) AERONAUT {A}{E}{R}{O}{AUNT*}
3   Bird having male chromosome mated with one animal (5) HYENA {H{Y}EN}{A}
4   A girl almost touched jumping snake at an American state (6) ALASKA {A}{LASs}{KA}
5   Association for the inflamed and angry (3,5) RED CROSS {RED}{CROSS}
6   Terribly inflated, nothing in it. No, it is not inflation, just the opposite (9) DEFLATION {O} in INFLATED*
7   Significant other meets first lover, odd climax in get-together (6) SOCIAL {Si...t}{Ot..r}{ClImAx}{Lo...r}
8   Our neighbour's hand broke, applied cream regularly (6) ANDHRA {HAND*}{cReAm}
9   A service reciprocated by one of the seven sisters (5) ASSAM {A}{SSAM<=}
15 State ambiguously 'Im an adult' (5,4) TAMIL NADU {I'M+AN+ADULT}*
17 Indian chef is coming up after Harry's daughter; she is one of the 29 (8) SARABAND {SARA}BAN{D} Anno pending, if I'm right (Addendum - NAGALAND {NAG}{ALAN<=}{D} - See comments}
18 Company representative gets permission to collect final due in total (8) COMPLETE {CO}{MP}{LET}{duE}
21 Innovative lawbreaker, smuggles brew out of state (6) KERALA LAwbreAKER*
22 Lighting lamps in prayer (5) PSALM*
23 Conductor of vehicle is at saloon (6) BUSBAR {BUS}{BAR}
24 Age, sex, location of worker sent across (6) ASLANT {Age}{Sex}{Lo...n}{ANT} Is an indicator missing?
26 Mercurial comedian stands out of din in a brief appearance (5) CAMEO COMEdiAn*

GRID

Thursday 24 September 2015

No 11508, Thursday 24 Sep 2015, Afterdark


ACROSS
1   Strong bishop besieged by ebola, somehow passed away (4-6) ABLE-BODIED {A{B}LE-BO*}{DIED}
6   A little part of gigabit (1,3) A BIT [T]
10 US e-tailer gives free (2,7) AT LEISURE {USETAILER}*
11 Overthrow from second gully, pressure at boundary (5) UPEND {gUlly}{P}{END}
12 Perhaps, a losing gambler's eternal hope (3,2,8) LAW OF AVERAGES [CD]
14 A type of window Orientals constructed for ants to escape (5) ORIEL ORIEntaLs*
15 Employ agent to go around getting help to procure a type of postage cover (5-4) REPLY-PAID {RE{PLY}-P}{AID}
17 Man on horse is behind time, in a mess, from another standpoint (4,5) THEN AGAIN {T}{HE}{N AG}{IN+A}*
21 Teacher returns in the afternoon with crystal (5) PRISM {P{RIS<=}M}
22 Go ahead, plan a marriage, organise the beginning and the end (5,3,5) ALPHA AND OMEGA {GO+AHEAD+PLAN+A+M}*
24 Leading royal airmen detect attacks rapidly with this equipment (5) RADAR Acrostic
25 Fielder's trousers taken by spinner (5-4) SHORT-STOP {SHORT-S}{TOP}
26 Strikes in fightback (4) TAPS<=
27 Tom's cards shuffled, large point in a game (4,6) CATS CRADLE {TOM+CARDS}*{L}{E} (Addendum - {CAT}{S CRAD*}{L}{E} - See comments) How many of you remember this? I do, but I never knew this was its name.

DOWN
1   No matter what, a dubious company will be on street corners at last (2,3,5) AT ALL COSTS {A}{T ALL} {CO}{ST}{c...rS}
2   L'il Yankee found with spurious drug is blameless (4-5) LILY-WHITE {LIL}{Y}-{WITH*}{E}
3   Filled to capacity with British (IMFL) cocktail, union leader walks in (7) BRIMFUL {BR}{IMF{Un..n}L}
4   One of the two magistrates depositing mud around central court's opposed to in-absentia ruling primarily (7) DUUMVIR {DU{coUrt}M<=}{V}{In-...a}{Ru...g}
5   Say, I let go of medicine (3-4) EYE-DROP (~ i){EYE}-{DROP}
7   Magnify the contents of cables sent (5) BLESS [T]
8   Without cap, stood out in a commotion (2-2) TO-DO sTOOD*
9   Country lacking acreage goes without food (6) HUNGRY HUNGaRY
13 By mistake, sampled a pint of arrack first; formed a lump in throat (5,5) ADAMS APPLE {SAMPLED+A+Pint+Ar...k}*
16 Well-fed soldiers coming behind a large unit hunted out the barbarian (9) ALIMENTED {A}{L}{1}{MEN}{hunTED}
18 A player needs constant and right energy to have a goal (6) ASPIRE {A}{S}{PI}{R}{E}
19 Dar es Salaam demolished dams, removed from a water body (4,3) ARAL SEA {daR ES sALAAm}*
20 Say, sergeants seem to lack common sense under fire (7) NONCOMS {COMmON+seNSe}*
21 University officer's crop in bad condition, decomposition is back (7) PROCTOR {CROP*}{TOR<=}
22 To make sense of advertisement, state article appearing before (3,2) ADD UP {AD}{D} {UP} D and article?
23 Essentially betting earns crore getting a run (4) TROT {b..T..g}{e.R.s}{c.O.e}{g..T..g}

GRID

Wednesday 23 September 2015

No 11507, Wednesday 23 Sep 2015, The Phantom


Phantom's planning to give us 'a high' today :-) It's a Z short of a pangram unless 9D is ZAPPER?

ACROSS
1   Corporation sucked dry by individual and ruined (10) TUMBLEDOWN {TUM}{BLED}{OWN}
6   Fellow left to cut down plant (4) FLAX {F}{L}{AX}
10 House breaker caught in St. Petersburg larceny (7) BURGLAR [T]
11 This knife out of place in chief surgeon’s hand? (7) SCALPEL {Su...n}{PLACE*}{L}
12 Bill's to wed chic girl next door (9) ADJOINING {AD}{JOIN}{IN}{G}
13 Poster put up, making Puducherry for example popular (3-2) PIN-UP Anno pending (Addendum - {P(-ut+in)IN-UP} - See comments)
14 Smack including heroin is a narcotic substance (5) BHANG {B{H}ANG}
15 Those people got bald very quickly as if by magic! (3,6) HEY PRESTO {tHEY} {PRESTO}
17 Ways to induct labour for building of thoroughfares (9) ROADWORKS {ROAD{WORK}S}
21 Prick sending woman out for smack (5) TINGE TwINGE
22 Supplement, Times had to withdraw having had regular losses (5) EXTRA Anno pending (Addendum - {E{eXiT}RA} - See comments)
24 Dapper one in tight sort of trousers (9) DRAINPIPE {DAPPER+1+IN}*
26 In a peaceful manner leave lady on vacation to go round Spain (7) QUIETLY {QUI{E}T}{LadY}
27 Fly presently disturbing ruler (7) KNOWING ? {K{NOW}ING}
28 Contest’s not quite fair (4) EVEN EVENt
29 Millions remitted by common people — persons in the street for taxation (10) ASSESSMENT {mASSES}{S{MEN}T}

DOWN
1   A setter chewed up bone (5) TIBIA {TIB}{I}{A}<=
2   Tea for uplifting mood in the morning, sipped by Juan? The opposite (9) MARIJUANA {MA<=}{RI{JUAN}A<=}
3   Gill’s collection includes metal — music that’s rhythmic (7) LILTING {TIN} in {GILL}*
4   Vessel blocking another vessel’s somewhat poor light (7) DARKISH {D{ARK}ISH}
5   Solomon’s kid a know-all? (4,3) WISE-GUY {WISE} {GUY}
7   Elated to be in love showing up with flower (5) LUPIN {L{UP}IN<=}
8   Felix’s last hope only to play this instrument (9) XYLOPHONE {f..iX}{HOPE+ONLY}*
9   Prevent fake double agent assassinating head of state (6) ?A?P?R (Addendum - HAMPER - {sHAM}{PER<=} - See comments)
14 Annoy the Parisian with that French satire (9) BURLESQUE {BUR}{LES}{QUE} (Addendum - {BUR<=}{LES}{QUE} - See comments)
16 Diplomatic visit seen to be controversial (9) SENSITIVE*
18 Breaking the law to get money? (6) WEALTH*
19 Faulty flash photography frightened deer, absolutely! (3-4) RED-EYES {RED-E*}{YES}
20 Chain saw used in cutting silver, oddly! (7) SHACKLE {HACK} in {SiLvEr}
21 Shaky, laborious opener dismissed, run out (7) TENUOUS sTrENUOUS
23 Double XX? (5) TWICE [DD]
25 Boat crew skipper’s lost importance (5) EIGHT wEIGHT

GRID

Tuesday 22 September 2015

No 11506, Tuesday 22 Sep 2015, xChequer


Phew!!! Struggled for almost 3 hours on this one, mostly in the NW corner and 14A.

ACROSS
7   Spit out a normal drink like barley water (6) PTISAN {SPIT*}{A}{N}
8   Favourite in shows up in contests with others (8) COMPETES {COM{PET}ES}
9   Unpretentious places where people live, a joke (8) HOMESPUN {HOMES}{PUN}
10 Rowing over daughter lacking in guts (6) OARING {O}{dARING}
11 Fashion model has exercise (5) SHAPE {HAS*}{PE}
12 Exhausted nurse is overcome (6) BEATEN {BEAT}{EN}
14 Come back to plague his rule, a tragedy in the making (4,3,4,4) REAR ITS UGLY HEAD*
17 Observing zero hour is irrelevant (6) NOTING NOThING
18 Does this to stop littering? Society benefits (5) SPAYS {S}{PAYS}
22 Particular assignment (6) DETAIL [DD]
23 Institution turned sick, pounds not easily cashed (8) ILLIQUID {I}{LLI<=}{QUID}
24 One accustomed to crow before being introduced to cuckoo clock (8) COCKEREL {ERE} in {CLOCK}*
25 Beer we drunk came from here (6) BREWER* &lit (There is an error in the Anagram fodder - See comments)

DOWN
1   Degenerates are attached to souvenirs (9) ATROPHIES {A}{TROPHIES}
2   A notice describing essence of healthy power napping (6) ASLEEP {A}{S{heaLthy}EE}{P}
3   Bird in ecstasy, legs flipped (5) SNIPE {SPIN}{E}<=
4   Abiding extremes of idealism before killing (8) IMMORTAL {Id...sM}{MORTAL}
5   Cut back on chain stores, rent in different places (8) RETRENCH {RE}{TREN*}{CH} Anno not clear. What's the role of 'places'? See comments
6   Could be 1d (5) WEANS ? [CD]
8   Question clean baffled attendant (13) CONSEQUENTIAL*
13 Dismayed with nuclear bombs becoming versatile (4-5) MANY-SIDED {DISMAYED+N}*
15 Controlled fire with small rifles (8) RANSACKS {RAN}{SACK}{S}
16 Utterly spoilt without a guardian (8) TUTELARY {UTTERLY}* around {A}
19 Reportedly pale and irritated (6) PIQUED  (~ picket ? ) (Addendum - (~ peaked) - See comments)
20 Trade corporate shares, furnishing scheme (5) DECOR [T]
21 World should be left in good order (5) GLOBE {G}{L}{OBE}

GRID

Monday 21 September 2015

DESSERTS

I thank all members who submitted clues for the titled word.

Bombadil

They having a bit of sugar leave a taste of sweetness! (8)
They, having a bit of sugar, leave a taste of sweetness (8) (Revised) DES(S)ERT(S)

A brave exercise  in writing a CD.
I had difficulty in working out the WP in the first attempt. The punctuation in the
revised version leaves us with no doubt as to what is going on. We atart off with
the reqd word. My only comment is that the word has more than a bit of sugar - I
am joking, of course, for 'a bit of sugar' doesn't mean just one but some. The EM

I accept as one that might be considered legit.
The statement of the clue even any child might know. Even if the child has not atarted talking but only makes noises and utters a few words would know the truth. My son told me the other day that his toddler son would come to him when he taking tiffin and ask for a bit of puri or dosai if that is the tiffin of the day. If it is idli, the child would just turn away, not being interested in the bland stuff.
---
Sowmya

They often finish a meal (8)

CD. Clue works but it's rather vague and it can hardly be solved cold. Only
after we have got some crossingscan we guess the solution. Also, the meal must
be a formal dinner or at least a kalyana saappaadu where we finish with
desserts. At home it's likely to be thayir saadham.
---
Deepak Gopinath.

Final course rats drowned in a ship on the contrary (8)

Def is OK and is not a dead give-away.
'Rats' here are not the rodents but the v. DESERTS. Ship is SS or S. Statement is
RATS drowned in ship. DESERT ins'd in SS. 'On the contrary' means it's the
other way around - S (ship) is ins'd in DESERTS.
Some punctuation mark is required between 'ship' and 'on the contrary'.
Also, perhaps after 'course'. Otherwise, what are 'final course rats'?
Good word breakup. The wordplay idea isn't executed most properly.
---
Nadathur Rajan
Mere sweet dishes like these without sulphur are what is deserved (8)

DESSERTS
(mere=)JUST + DES[-s]ERTS = what are deserved (JUST DESERTS)

The clue-writer has saved me a lot of typing by going all out in his
explanation.The clue works and we dos ee where he comes from for his
wordplay but I am unable to classify it. Surface reading must be plausible: do
we ever 'add sulphur' during the process of making a sweet dish?
---
Ramki Krishnan
Quits eating basically sugary sweets (8)
Quits = DESERTS
eating = container ind
basically sugary = S
sweets = def

Neat wordplay. Works very well: the container, the ins ind, del fodder and del
ind - everything gels well.
---
Richard
Spoilt dress set for post-meal sweet stuff (8)

Wordplay works well in this anag clue. Surface reading is weak. We may spoil
our dress during a meal but I don't think we take out a spoilt dress set for a meal
or a course therein. The def is too elaborate making it possible to guess the
answer without any subsidiary ind.
---
C. G. Bhargav
Saints entering Sahara say not right to look for ice-cream and cake (8)
Saints=SS
Sahara say = DESERT
not right = anag. indicator
(SS+DESERT) = DESSERTS
Defn. Ice-cream and cake

The clue-writer has saved me a lot of typing by giving full explanation. WP
works but surface reading is strange. We can indeed look for ince-cream in a
desert if it is kept properly stored there. I like 'not right' as anag ind.
---
Vasant
Rested , had a s-sunday maybe (8)
DE(SS)ERTS*

Rather casually written. Some more work is needed to produce a clue with the
word breakup. The WP does not seem to come through quite properly in the
submitted version. Wonder if what was had was 'sundae'.
---
Padmanabhan
A drop of sugar in arid regions is sweet.

Though the given word is known, I would expect the enu to make it a complete
clue.
We can understand a 'drop of milk or honey or ghee' but not' a drop of sugar'. A
little sugar, some sugar, a bit of sugar,,, some such might be OK. 'Arid regions'
for 'deserts' is good. 'Sweet' as def is OK.

Finally,

I like the clues of Bombadil and Sowmya.
The most favourite of mine is  Ramki's.
Excuse sought for any omissions/errors made inadvertently.

No 11505, Monday 21 Sep 2015, xChequer


ACROSS
7   Duct not empty but free-flowing (6) FLUENT {FLUE}{NoT}
8   Arrived without energy, voicing distress in drive (8) CAMPAIGN {CAMe}{PAIGN}(~pain)
9   Rocket leaves earth at separating sequence (8) ESCALATE {E}{SCAL{AT}E}
10 Everyone else got her seat reserved (6) OTHERS [T]
11 Slips in small jokes (5) SKIDS {S}{KIDS}
12 Alternative thesis holds up (6) HEISTS*
14 Prepare to shift onus, losing pride (4,2,4,5) GIRD UP ONES LOINS*
17 Dog spacing out blackbird (6) BEAGLE {B}{EAGLE}
18 Limited firm (5) PITHY [DD] (Addendum - TIGHT [DD] - See comments)
22 Release book without jacket, butler intervenes (6) OUTLET {O{bUTLEr}T}
23 Mention glitches after one in two shakes (2,2,4) IN NO TIME {1}{NO TIME}*
24 My ideal spot in coastal road (8) CORNICHE {COR}{NICHE}
25 Withdraw in simulated trance (6) RECANT*

DOWN
1   Intimate secret about kin abroad (5-4) CLOSE-KNIT {CLOSE-{KIN*}T}
2   Tip one sketching picture, say, a complimentary payment (6) REWARD <=
3   Small-time music band (5) STRAP {S}{T}{RAP}
4   Stamps with impression of 'Yours truly' rejected by managers (8) EMBOSSES {EM<=}{BOSSES}
5   A physicality essentially seen in male and his manner of doing something (8) MACHISMO {MAC}{HIS}{MO} &lit (Addendum - {M}{{A}{p...iCa...y}{HIS}{MO} - See comments)
6   Originally ancient area to gather, over in Greece (5) AGORA {An...t}{G{O}R}{A} &lit
8   Excited seeing caramel custard (5,8) CREME ANGLAISE*
13 Picking up beefcakes that don't upset stomachs? (2,3,4) ON THE MEND {HE-MEN} in {DON'T}*
15 Spot fish, including bass, gently moving in water (8) DABBLING {DAB}{B}{LING}
16 Policy fee to cover undertaking (8) PRACTICE {PR{ACT}ICE}
19 Flawless in diplomacy (6) INTACT {IN}{TACT}
20 Folding mattress, put up merino tufted cushions (5) FUTON [T<=]
21 Still to introduce missing son (5) INERT INsERT

GRID

Sunday 20 September 2015

Special, Sunday 20 Sep 2015, Ramki Krishnan


Three answers per commenter (Annotations compulsory) till 6 PM
Please provide all your answers in one comment.


ACROSS
5  Sleep, removing glasses, and swallowing drugs for a forceful discharge! (6)
7  Provide endless bonds / stocks (8)
9  Bird, losing two tail feathers, is eating, sleeping and standing (8)
10 Beg girl's boyfriend to switch sides  (6)
11 Swear words exchanged during a match (8,4)
13 Curious kid is likely to succeed (4-2)
15 Philosopher's not initially happy to fiddle (6)
18 Saying "Shame!" "Ruin!" "Rot!" "Undone!" (2,3,2,5)
21 Drop John's group? Not quite (6)
22 On reorganization, most of Google will shortly become a child's toy (8)
23 Just wrestling? Use a bind! (8)
24 Concoction of essentially walnuts, sugar, chocolate, fruit - a sweet, ultimately! (6)

DOWN
1  Pressurized to come back for ice cream and pudding perhaps (8)
2  Chap is next to a doctor from the east in a flight (6)
3  Medicinal plant possibly grown in excess? Not good! (8)
4  Having love inside, prevents signs of ageing (6)
6  Some woman or man, dying in a battlefield (8)
7  Old, gnarled tree in English county (6)
8  The peer's fencing weapon (4)
12 Mole (n): A footloose chap, almost a killer? (8)
14 Unnecessary jabber on ship (8)
16 Reportedly tie hostile American sea creature (8)
17 Fellow's stiff is cold… (6)
18 …poison! Sound the alarm! (6)
19 Farewell melody about love lost, primarily (2,4)
20 Warring Ninja abandons weapon at last, becomes a non-violent person (4)

Across Lite version can be accessed at RAMKI 4

Enjoy.

The Sunday Crossword (2859), Sunday 20 Sep 2015


ACROSS
1   Bankrupt regretted embracing hollow illusion (6) RUINED {RU{Il...oN}ED}
4   Material in article pinched by humorous writer (7) LEATHER {LEA{THE}R}
9   New set primed for paint (9) DISTEMPER*
10 Dance in uncertain state (5) LIMBO [DD]

11 Captured period, retaining look in old-fashioned cinema (11) NICKELODEON {NICKE{LO}D}{EON}
14 Run into great area of land (4) ACRE {AC{R}E}
15 Dramatic rendition of choir isn't entertaining one (10) HISTRIONIC {HISTR{1}ONIC*}
17 Guarantee fuel, securing litre subsequently (10) COLLATERAL {CO{L}{LATER}AL}
18 Speaker's solitary advance (4) LOAN (~lone)
20 Betray twenty in style of ancient Rome? (6-5) DOUBLE-CROSS {XX}
23 Engineers joining line in charge for survival (5) RELIC {RE}{L}{IC}
24 Proper uncertainty reflected in gambling (9) BEFITTING {BE{FI<=}TTING}
25 Mark for each escape (7) SCARPER {SCAR}{PER}
26 Superior ordered no rise (6) SENIOR*

DOWN
1   Sadly cry and end up without power, showing uselessness (10) REDUNDANCY {CRY+AND+END+Up}*
2   Home and dry, you finally rest safely? On the contrary (10) INSECURELY {IN}{SEC}{yoU}{RELY}
3   Team taking part in cruel event (6) ELEVEN [T]
4   Flair the angler wildly exaggerated (6,4,4) LARGER THAN LIFE*
5   Opponent among last struggling for lost land (8) ATLANTIS {ATL{ANTI}S*}
6   Be busy, quietly coming to prominence (4) HUMP {HUM}{P}
7   Rip off piece starting in corner (4) ROOK [DD]
8   Counterpart to pope is afflicted with senseless hesitation (8,6) OPPOSITE NUMBER {TO+POPE+IS}* {NUMB}{ER}
12 Motion in an old car showing advancing age (4,6) ANNO DOMINI {AN}{NO D}{O}{MINI}
13 Using garlic in a stew, left out sweet powder (5,5) ICING SUGAR {USING+GARlIC}*
16 Hamper with help I cover (8) HANDICAP {HAND}{I}{CAP}
19 Tool chest rattled, holding unknown quantity (6) SCYTHE {SC{Y}THE*}
21 Flower heads for instance rich in scent (4) IRIS Acrostic
22 Fold, lacking time for appeal (4) PLEA PLEAt

GRID

Saturday 19 September 2015

No 11504, Saturday 19 Sep 2015, Sunnet


I see four people, are there more? Or is there some other theme? (See comments)

ACROSS
1   Can I randomly add in a vitamin? (6) NIACIN {CAN+I}*{IN}
4   Disentangles entangled news unit (8) UNTWINES*
10 Quiet local leader (9) PRESIDENT {P}{RESIDENT}
11 Lean on superior tree (5) TENDU {TEND}{U}
12 Finally lost important part of a leg (5) THIGH {losT}{HIGH}
13 Came by fashionable woman's special diet (9) INHERITED {IN}{HER}{DIET*}
14 Beside a profit on Street (7) AGAINST {A}{GAIN}{ST}
16 Help back unknown explorer (4) DIAZ {DIA<=}{Z}
19 Care about a unit (4) ACRE*
21 Modify rail camera's front half to get wind condition (4,3) CALM AIR {RAIL+CAMera}*
24 Dispatch school's letter carrier (4,5) MAIL COACH {MAIL} {COACH}
25 Birth from cervical vent (5) CALVE [T]
26 English speaker representing Golan (5) ANGLO*
27 Sent packing grass to extinguish last bit of fire inside (6,3) TURFED OUT {TURF}{firE}{D OUT}
28 Visual aids possessed by electronic visor (8) EYESHADE {EYES}{HAD}{E}
29 Deformed Manila savage (6) ANIMAL*

DOWN
1   Upcoming pan-Indian newspaper has incendiary articles (8) NAPHTHAS {NAP}{HT}<={HAS} (Correction - {NAP<=}{HT}{HAS} -See comments)
2   A French sea touches one Canadian national (8) AMERICAN {A}{MER}{1}{CAN}
3   Rishi transformed those lucky people (5) IRISH*
5   Number printed without the crown is cut (7) NOTCHED {NO}{eTCHED}
6   Force of wet pitch (9) WATERFALL {WATER}{FALL}
7   Number central to a boxcar (6) NINETY {boXCar}
8   Outfits court in ship (6) SQUADS {S{QUAD}S}
9   On insurer's final settlement to widow (6) RELICT {RE}{LIC}{s...nT}
15 Make out fabric of cravat (9) NECKCLOTH {NECK}{CLOTH}
17 Put everything in to sweep the dance area (8) BALLROOM {B{ALL}ROOM}
18 Align with criminal from the East (8) ORIENTAL {ORIENT}{AL}
20 Honoured by former key journalist (7) EXALTED {EX}{ALT}{ED}
21 Group's nothing invested in malfunctioning torch (6) COHORT {COH{O}RT*}
22 Spike rascal's drink (6) IMPALE {IMP}{ALE}
23 Metallic sound in tune (6) JINGLE [DD]
25 Wipe carbon tip (5) CLEAN {C}{LEAN}

GRID

Friday 18 September 2015

No 11503, Friday 18 Sep 2015, Anon


ACROSS
1   Melon for clan leaving Moroccan port city (6) CASABA CASABlancA
4   Tamil Nadu town began to dry,  was destroyed (6) ERODED {ERODE}{Dry}
9   Suspicious of hostilities by Yemen leader (4) WARY {WAR}{Ye..n}
10 Irritates heartless lady unnecessarily (10) NEEDLESSLY {NEEDLES}S{LadY} Anon has forgotten about the second S
11 Banker edges away from offshore revolt (6) SHROFF oFFSHORe*
12 Across clue partly targets praises (8) ACCLAIMS {AC}{CLue}{AIMS}
13 Show off round meshes around London gallery (9) OSTENTATE {O}{STEN<=}{TATE}
15 Choke heads of Supreme Court with old towel (5) SCRAG {SC}{RAG}
16 Worth of girl replacing lady is unclear (5) VAGUE VA(-l+g)GUE
18 Leader reports when returning from Vietnam (9) STATESMAN {STATES}{NAM<=}
22 Request for the most small particle (8) PETITION {PETITe}{ION}
23 Son leaves Russian region for European peninsula (6) IBERIA sIBERIA
25 Real fat pig cunning at blackjack (6,4) PIRATE FLAG {REAL+FAT+PIG}* I don't think this definition is correct See comments
26 Letters from Iranian queen… (4) RANI [T]
27 …at newly formed secret building (6) ERECTS*
28 Paste notice at this place (6) ADHERE {AD}{HERE}

DOWN
1   Pain withheld by firm’s instructors… (7) COACHES {CO{ACHE}'S}
2   …but authority utters nothing? (3-2) SAY-SO {SAY-S}{O}
3   Is new England leader in shape to gain? (7) BENEFIT {BE}{N}{E}{FIT}
5   Duplicates father removed are mementos (6) RELICS REpLICaS
6   Withdraws from two positions (9) DISTANCES {DI}{STANCES}
7   In a predicament, confused middleman loses disheartened Dalmatian (7) DILEMMA MIDdLEMAn*
8   Stitched giant lady vest dreadfully (13) DEVASTATINGLY*
14 Sheds light on surprisingly delicate head of union (9) ELUCIDATE {EL{Un..n}CIDATE*} Sheds or Shed?
17 Fish, beer for spouse (7) ALEWIFE {ALE}{WIFE}
19 Sorted three of the elderly (7) TRIAGED {TRI}{AGED}
20 Man leaving surroundings has tendency to withdraw (7) ALIENEE Anno pending (Addendum - ABIENCE AmBIENCE - See comments)
21 Is returning from the French borders of Nantucket speechless (6) SILENT {SI<=}{LE}{Na...eT}
24 Spooky Eastern American lake (5) EERIE {E}{ERIE}

GRID

Thursday 17 September 2015

No 11502, Thursday 17 Sep 2015, Vulcan


ACROSS
1   To experience the beginning of never-ending ecstasy, entering it is the answer (6) HEAVEN &lit{H{E}AVE}{Ne..r}
4   Shows on the radio station (5) PLACE (~plays) Iffy homophone
8   A way to bind and make layers (8) STRATIFY {ST}{RATIFY}
9   Writer on the internet, say, answers a baffling question about beginning of time (6) POSTER {POS{Time}ER}
11 Show extraordinary skill after coming back to expand a restaurant (9) TRATTORIA {TRA<=}T{TO}{RIA<=} Anno not clear See comments
12 Party leader runs into trouble, gets time (5) APRIL {A{Pa..y}{R}IL}
13 It's a deplorable old Indian practice (4) SATI*
14 Dust loosely getting settled eventually inside grand wooden framework (8) STUDDING {DUST*}{s...eD}{IN}{G}
18 To do away with a barrier, brother's breaking it (8) ABROGATE {A}{BRO}{GATE}
19 Friendly clash with Manchester to start with (4) WARM {WAR}{Ma...r}
22 People's trust initially had by successor (5) THEIR {Tr..t}{HEIR}
24 Cautioned about learning (9) EDUCATION*
25 Spoke of nothing with value, got bored finally (6) ORATED {O}{RATE}{b..eD}
26 Dislike a story (8) AVERSION {A}{VERSION}
27 Girls prevailed over guys for the most part (5) WOMEN {WO{MEn}N}
28 Small list that's permanent (6) STABLE {S}{TABLE}

DOWN
1   In future, Helium energy may be conserved in a beam (9) HEREAFTER {HE}{R{E}AFTER}
2   Through Drona's tutelage gets sharp (6) ASTUTE [T]
3   Tear off somehow without a trouble (6) EFFORT {TEaR+OFF}*
5   Garments sold with rate slashed (8) LEOTARDS*
6   Provide for the empty vehicle parked outside (5) CATER {CA{ThE}R}
7   Discussion with an expert with large ego, one from Kerala (12) PROLEGOMENON {PRO}{L{EGO}{MENON} New word for me.
8   It's a strange society, a section has no right to happiness (12) SATISFACTION {ITS+A}*{S}{FrACTION}
10 Order that's not in order when stratified (5) CASTE ? See comments
15 Make stuff like spaghetti? (9) ITALICISE [CD]
16 Endlessly violent with one woman, causing distress (8) AGGRIEVE {AGGRo}{1}{EVE}
17 Perfect state (5) UTTER [DD]
20 Bend, squat in the end and leap (6) CURVET {CURVE}{squaT}
21 City's engineers in South Africa and Great Britain (6) ZAGREB {ZA}{G{RE}B}
23 A time to muse (5) ERATO {ERA}{TO}

GRID