Tuesday 2 February 2016

No 11614, Tuesday 02 Feb 2016, xChequer


ACROSS
7   Always intruding on worship (6) REVERE {R{EVER}E}
8   Master joining institute, rummy type, put through test (8) ORIGINAL {OR{I}{GIN}AL}
9   Strain in romance? First letter, then daughter stays cool (8) SERENADE {A}{D} in {SERENE}
10 Bears, tender in the main, in retreat (6) ABIDES {A{BID}ES<=}
11 Small whiskers giving squirrel away (5) STASH {S}{TASH}
12 Stomach reduction (6) DIGEST [DD]
14 Rigor that often develops over hours — is this found when one croaks? (4,2,3,6)  FROG IN THE THROAT {H} in {RIGOR+THAT+OFTEN}*
17 Saved criminal engaging independent counsel (6) ADVISE {I} in {SAVED}*
18 Air through blower in large house (5) ?A?O? MANOR ? (Addendumm - (~ manner) - See comments)
22 Provocation from the tongue (3,3) RED RAG Anno pending [DD] - See comments
23 Open, admission with permit (8) AMENABLE {AM}{ENABLE}
24 Jar treated, grand inside, kept as object of attention (8) TARGETED {G} in {TREATED}*
25 Fine leached ashes placed in bundles (6) SHEAFS {F} in {ASHES}*

DOWN
1   Born in poverty, raised true to form, creating a sort of bond (9) DEBENTURE {DE{B}EN<=}{TRUE*}
2   Drives away mole coming up once earth is removed (6) REPELS SLEePER<=
3   Really at odds just after 5, not 4, and not 6 (5) FERAL {FivE}{ReAlLy}
4   If switched on: source of light, meant to get heated! (8) FILAMENT {FI<=}{Li..t}{MEANT*} &lit
5   Senior politician's home, smashing address for him? (8) MINISTER {IN} in {MISTER}
6   Controlled manner in which some investments may be kept up (5) TAMED <=
8   When it is soon over, when ultimately honest dating collapses (3-5,5) ONE-NIGHT STAND  {wheN + HONEST + DATING}*
13 Wide and leafy, if relaxed, crossing over is typical behaviour (3,2,4) WAY OF LIFE {O} in {W+LEAFY+IF}*
15 Sunday best day in large gas complex, free time at last (4,4) GLAD RAGS {D} in {LARGe + GAS}*
16 Pilot, one behind vehicle, brought over at gunpoint (8) NAVIGATE {NAV<=}{1}{GAT}{E}
19 Keeping a vigil on new Kindle (6) AWAKEN {A}{WAKE}{N}
20 Refund on discharge (5) REPAY [DD] (Addendum - {RE}{PAY} - See comments)
21 Spread rapidly consuming energy (5) FEAST {F{E}AST}


29 comments:

  1. 18 Air through blower // in large house (5) ?A?O? MANOR ?
    ~manner MANOR

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Blower is a slang term for telephone. So it is a homophone that we have to look for.
      air = manner

      Delete
  2. 20 Refund on discharge (5) REPAY [DD]
    I felt it was RE PAY

    ReplyDelete
  3. 22 Provocation from the tongue (3,3) RED RAG
    This is a DD. 'Red rag' is slang term for tongue, just as 'potatoe trap' for mouth

    ReplyDelete
  4. red rag noun 1 slang the tongue. from http://www.chambers.co.uk/search.php?query=red+rag&title=21st

    ReplyDelete
  5. 22A - I have come across the term 'Give your red rag a holiday' denoting tongue. But I am not sure whether that's the intended anno

    ReplyDelete
  6. Replies
    1. Thank you Col., but it is AM as per the anno. and not IM.

      Delete
    2. am (ăm)
      v.
      First person singular present indicative of be.

      Delete
  7. 14A- Though it is an anagram it is very cleverly hidden.Connected with rigor, I took croak to be 'die' and never got the anagram part.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Boy was this very tough today - missed out on Tamed and Feral :( smashing clue for Tamed - demat becoming tamed wow Xchequer ! :) 3d - Feral was way too deep for me but seriously clever - Five (-iv for 4) :) Manor - while i did get it just could not parse it :) Never thought it was a homophone though Google did tell me blower was a slang for phone .. not able to join the dots :) Xchequer seriously made me sweat today :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. In the following clues, are PLACED and TO GET the anagram indicators?

    25A Fine leached ashes placed in bundles (6) SHEAFS {F} in {ASHES}*
    4D If switched on: source of light, meant to get heated! (8) FILAMENT {FI<=}{Li..t}{MEANT*} &lit

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes for 25A. In 4D I think 'to get heated' is the signal

      Delete
    2. Yes I think..because in the former leached is container indicator & in the latter switched is anind for If

      Delete
    3. Thanks Raghunath & Vasant!

      Delete
  10. Soldiered today to get all...even though there were a lot of anno pending from my side...
    Standard of the puzzle was just very high....solving this I believe boosts your confidence no end
    Great Work xChequer

    ReplyDelete
  11. I thought leached was anind and placed for F to be inside.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Let's see what xChequer has to say.

      Delete
    2. leach means to seep through. It cannot be an anagrind as it's placed between the fodder. It should be at either end of the fodder

      Delete
    3. Or there are 2 anagrinds leached & placed which I don't think is the case.

      Delete
    4. @Paddy, Raghu, Sandhya: 'leached' (seeped through) is the insertion indicator, while 'placed' (positioned in a certain way) acts as anagrind. Thanks for your comments

      Delete
  12. Thank you Bala. Enjoyed 2 days. A bit of brainstorming.

    ReplyDelete
  13. 3D: How is "not 6" = FERAL? I'm not getting it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ok got it from Bhala - "not 6" -> not TAMED -> FERAL. Wow :)

      Delete

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