Across
7 Boss gets approval // to prepare food // for explorer (4) COOK {CO}{OK} (MD)
8 Complainant's simple argument (9) PLAINTIFF {PLAIN}{TIFF}
10 Country, Father and Old Church (6) FRANCE {FR}{AN}{CE}
11 Theodore caught animal and stumbled (8) TOTTERED {T{OTTER}ED}
12 PM who was seen to be a Middle-Easterner after decapitation (8) DISRAELI {dISRAELI=Middle Easterner}
14 Make unknown variety of liquor (6) BRANDY {BRAND}{Y}
16 Personal // soldier (7) PRIVATE (DD)
18 For example, Patton's groups preceded First Lieutenant (7) GENERAL {GENERA}{L}
21 Unplanned parts of Qatar and Oman (6) RANDOM (T)
23 You can do without this // addendum (8) APPENDIX (DD)
25 Type of punishment meted out // to an NCO (8) CORPORAL (DD)
27 Country cousin's citrus preparation (6) RUSTIC {CITRUS*}
29 Poetical device found in "donkey on a North Carolina estate initially" (9) ASSONANCE {ASS}{ON}{A}{NC}{E}
30 Military group is not suitable - it has no force (4) UNIT {UNfIT}
Down
1 Dispatch rider carried model for nobleman (8) COURTIER {COUR{T}IER}
2 Similar to a relative (4) AKIN {A}{KIN}
3 Man captured by policeman and soldiers displayed round object (6) SPHERE {SP}{HE}{RE}
4 First murderer's suitable leader (7) CAPTAIN {C{APT}AIN}
5 Shaky United Nations building to house horses (8) UNSTABLE {UN}{STABLE}
6 Setter travels around India with explosive device (4) MINE {M{IN}E}
9 Deploy // 3 (5) FIELD (DD) (3d=SPHERE)
13 A virgin, to begin with, was dressed in scarlet and expressed delight (5) RAVED {R[A}{V}ED}
15 Association of Southeast Asian Nations? Shortly, you will find it here - Please answer (5) ASEAN (T)
17 Rama returned in two days, initially carrying dates from India (8) TAMARIND {T{AMAR<=}IND} Anno not clear
19 In the beginning, a bachelor joined Indian telephone manufacturer's office (2,6) AB INITIO {A}{B} {IN}{ITI}{O}
20 Do not utter Indian honorific in a hill-station, honey (7) DARLING {DARjeeLING}
22 Smell a resident of Rome endlessly (5) AROMA {A}{ROMAn}
24 Report was rewritten for O'Henry (6) PORTER {REPORT*}
26 Col.'s // abstention from bidding (4) PASS (DD)
28 Slimy creature // lugs around // bullet // for a shot of liquor (4) SLUG {LUGS*}(MD)
Happy to start the day with Chai and Samosas for breakfast! Thank you Incognito! And of course, in the afternoon, it will be lunch with Colonel Sir and others at Minerva in Hyderabd. :)
ReplyDeletehave a great lunch and say Hi to all. Of course expecting photos.
DeleteIt seems Incognito has been incognito for a long while. He almost gave me samosas after a long gap. I could smell it until the deletion of Indian honorofic caught me unawares. So had to be satisfied with 99%.
ReplyDeleteRamesh in a different format, but looks elegant too.
Okay. I've reached S'bad. Looking forward to meet everyone at 12:30
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to meeting Sandhya Garu, MB Garu & you at 12:30 today.
DeleteWaiting to meet you'll! :)
DeleteHave a great time!
DeleteI will also be there
DeleteHave a great time. Dry meet?
Delete17 Rama returned in two days, initially carrying dates from India (8) TAMARIND {T{AMAR<=}IND}
ReplyDelete{T}{RAMA<-}{IN}{D}
oops.. field made me lose my samosas today - . seriously cute xword from Incognito...enjoyed the clues today - cook, assonance (a new word for me), courtier, Darling was a true sweetheart :) the DD - appendix was funny :)
ReplyDeleteNice & easy one from Incognito...lots of deletion/addition but nicely clued..loved darling(who doesn't?), brandy, field, et al
ReplyDeleteNice to have William Sidney Porter...I have his anthology..complete short stories..that i reread often...The gift of Magi..the last leaf..the cop & the anthem...etc
ReplyDeleteSandhya's anno for Tamarind is correct. There are a few more theme references for this puzzle which came out between Army Day and Republic Day. Also, there is a subsidiary theme, which is probably a bit more obscure and extends to the next puzzle too, which might become clearer on Monday.
ReplyDelete23 to above: pronunciation of o in the words within quotes of the assonance clue is an example of assonance
DeleteWow!
DeleteTamarind is from Arabic 'Tamar-i-Hind' meaning 'Date fruit of India' ('Tamurr' is Arabic for Date fruit); named so for their similarity of look and sweetish taste
Deletei have been following ur blog for so long can you explain how to solve crossword i tried so much but i seem to get lost help would be appreciated
ReplyDeletePlease follow the link of crossword unclued given on the left hand bar...go to 7 steps for beginner...you will get a lot of help there
DeleteThank you. Incognito.
ReplyDelete20 D Lol :D
ReplyDeleteI once came across a Captain Darling who was a staff officer assisting a General. The General, and many others, frequently omitted to use his rank when addressing him , much to his discomfiture
DeleteLol
DeletePhotos of the Mini S&B meet at Secunderabad have been uploded in the THCC Families blog at the following link Mini S&B Meet
ReplyDeleteIn addition to theme words highlited, MINE and SLUG are also part of the theme as are certain parts of clues for 1d (dispatch rider), 3d (soldiers) and 26d (Col.). Thanks for solving and Good Night, folks!
ReplyDeleteThoroughly enjoyed thid grid ,and for the first time, got all but two --
ReplyDelete