Gem of a puzzle ... What a strataGEM! A mini-theme of flowers and plant parts ?
Incidentally it reminded me of an allegedly retired jewel thief, John Mannering, The Baron. You are right in thinking I might be Creasy ...
Across
7 Article confiscated by shipper at sea with a gemstone (8) SAPPHIRE (SHIPPER* holding A)
9 Canopy that's not initially gaping (6) AWNING (yAWNING)
10 Pleasant Greek character returns to collect an essay by the leaders of India and Vietnam (10) ATTRACTIVE (ETA< around TRACT I V)
11 Tim ignored the best gemstone (4) OPAL (OPTIMAL)
12 Nomadic Ethiopian participating in safaris (4) AFAR (T)
13 Awfully steamy surroundings for thorium in the gemstone (8) AMETHYST (STEAMY* around TH)
16 Saw located for the auditor (7) SIGHTED (~SITED)
18 Letting out for varnishing as the apprentice and the son trade places (7) LEASING (SEALING with L and S swapping positions)
20 Ordinary words about the edge of a flower (8) PRIMROSE (PROSE around RIM)
21 Shoot //to understand (4) TWIG (2) Cottoned on?
23 Penny overwhelmed by mass support for the British concert (4) PROM (PROP-P+M)
24 Bumbling grandson embraces father coming back with a flower (10) SNAPDRAGON (GRANDSON* around PA<)
25 Gemstone found in a round floorcloth by 10 in retreat (6) GARNET (RAG< TEN<)
26 Doctor salvages the meadows in Spain to make a gambler's paradise (3,5) LAS VEGAS (SALVAGES*) (2)
Down
1 Taste of the ocean? (5) SALTY (E)
2 Impetuous Homer put soft men in trouble (4-2-3-6) SPUR-OF-THE-MOMENT (HOMER PUT SOFT MEN)*Not sure if definition is in correct form. Expert opinion solicited
3 Lace brought up around Long Island by Henry initially is in the shape of a coil (7) HELICAL (LACE< around LI by H in the beginning)
4 Tire old horse to get a gemstone (4) JADE (3)
5 Crude tellurium protected by revamped custodianship (15) UNSOPHISTICATED (CUSTODIANSHIP* protecting TE)
6 Incidentally, the French disregarded the incorrectly interpreted pleasantness (2,7) EN PASSANT (PLEASENTNESS*-LE) In the passing, I remembered a chess move, but I let it pass ...
8 Risk to have a mongrel at home initially (5) INCUR (IN CUR)
14 Chinese dog breed, needing no introduction, gets supplement (3) EKE (pEKE)
15 Sign on top of the religious instruction article by a professional in charge of books (9) LIBRARIAN (LIBRA RI AN)
17 Self-confidence of the bloke with love for golf (3) EGO (EGG-G+O) He (don't ask me who) is a fine egg but has a face which looks like a poached egg ...
19 Sound to hasten a blending process to some extent (7) TENABLE (T)
21 Future agenda? (2-3) TO-DOS (E) Blogging this puzzle was on this list today. To-dos or not-to-dos, that is the question ...
22 Last letter following a pot sent up with a gemstone (5) TOPAZ ((A POT)< Z) At one time, I used to have close shave daily with it, sometimes even drawing blood
24 Speaker's quote on the plot (4) SITE (~CITE) Curiously, if I have not lost the plot, it's the second time a homophone is coming in this puzzle for the similar sound ... That's not a problem, I feel
Incidentally it reminded me of an allegedly retired jewel thief, John Mannering, The Baron. You are right in thinking I might be Creasy ...
Across
7 Article confiscated by shipper at sea with a gemstone (8) SAPPHIRE (SHIPPER* holding A)
9 Canopy that's not initially gaping (6) AWNING (
10 Pleasant Greek character returns to collect an essay by the leaders of India and Vietnam (10) ATTRACTIVE (ETA< around TRACT I V)
11 Tim ignored the best gemstone (4) OPAL (OP
12 Nomadic Ethiopian participating in safaris (4) AFAR (T)
13 Awfully steamy surroundings for thorium in the gemstone (8) AMETHYST (STEAMY* around TH)
16 Saw located for the auditor (7) SIGHTED (~SITED)
18 Letting out for varnishing as the apprentice and the son trade places (7) LEASING (SEALING with L and S swapping positions)
20 Ordinary words about the edge of a flower (8) PRIMROSE (PROSE around RIM)
21 Shoot //to understand (4) TWIG (2) Cottoned on?
23 Penny overwhelmed by mass support for the British concert (4) PROM (PROP-P+M)
24 Bumbling grandson embraces father coming back with a flower (10) SNAPDRAGON (GRANDSON* around PA<)
25 Gemstone found in a round floorcloth by 10 in retreat (6) GARNET (RAG< TEN<)
26 Doctor salvages the meadows in Spain to make a gambler's paradise (3,5) LAS VEGAS (SALVAGES*) (2)
Down
1 Taste of the ocean? (5) SALTY (E)
2 Impetuous Homer put soft men in trouble (4-2-3-6) SPUR-OF-THE-MOMENT (HOMER PUT SOFT MEN)*
3 Lace brought up around Long Island by Henry initially is in the shape of a coil (7) HELICAL (LACE< around LI by H in the beginning)
4 Tire old horse to get a gemstone (4) JADE (3)
5 Crude tellurium protected by revamped custodianship (15) UNSOPHISTICATED (CUSTODIANSHIP* protecting TE)
6 Incidentally, the French disregarded the incorrectly interpreted pleasantness (2,7) EN PASSANT (PLEASENTNESS*-LE) In the passing, I remembered a chess move, but I let it pass ...
8 Risk to have a mongrel at home initially (5) INCUR (IN CUR)
14 Chinese dog breed, needing no introduction, gets supplement (3) EKE (
15 Sign on top of the religious instruction article by a professional in charge of books (9) LIBRARIAN (LIBRA RI AN)
17 Self-confidence of the bloke with love for golf (3) EGO (EGG-G+O) He (don't ask me who) is a fine egg but has a face which looks like a poached egg ...
19 Sound to hasten a blending process to some extent (7) TENABLE (T)
21 Future agenda? (2-3) TO-DOS (E) Blogging this puzzle was on this list today. To-dos or not-to-dos, that is the question ...
22 Last letter following a pot sent up with a gemstone (5) TOPAZ ((A POT)< Z) At one time, I used to have close shave daily with it, sometimes even drawing blood
24 Speaker's quote on the plot (4) SITE (~CITE) Curiously, if I have not lost the plot, it's the second time a homophone is coming in this puzzle for the similar sound ... That's not a problem, I feel
Nice to see Kishore blogging after a long time....as refreshing as the ouzzle by Neyartha...sparkling gems strewn all over with a couple of flowers thrown in...an easier puzzle by Neyartha's standards
ReplyDelete+1
Delete+2
DeleteBefore scrolling down, as I read the intro and some comments against ind clues, I wondered what happened to the Col to be shooting off his mouth... So unlike of him. When I reached the end of the post and saw the labels, I realised the Col is Col. The interloper is interloper.
ReplyDeleteNever were truer words typed in this blog!
DeleteA "point" of order, sir. Requiring expert opinion, again:
DeleteYou have said "...I realised the Col is Col." Does the first use of "Col" require a dot after it to indicate that it is an abbreviation? Does the second usage require two dots, one for the abbreviation and one for the end of sentence?
Curiously, when typing in some apps, auto-correct takes the letter typed after the dot indicating abbreviation as a capital letter since it treats that dot as an end of the sentence marker.
What you say in the last sentence and much else happens in some apps and I am terribly annoyed.
DeleteWhen an abbreviated form of a word has the last letter too, we might dispense with the period. So it's Col, while the period after the second Col is in its own right to mark the end of the sentence.
2a there is a problem with the def. trying to figure out how it should be worded
ReplyDeleteKishore, Re 2dn. Note that the enu is 4-2-3-6. The hyphenated answer is an adj and I think it suits 'impetuous' which is also an adj. It must have been a spur-of-the-moment doubt that you expressed in a spur of the moment.
ReplyDeleteThanks, sir
DeleteI had no hesitation in writing my judgement that there is no PoS problem in that clue. As you don't seem to be satisfied, I had to look up for citing authority. Here it is:
Deletehttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spur%E2%80%93of%E2%80%93the%E2%80%93moment
I am retaining my comment. Some messag(s) in between may have been deleted by commenter.
DeleteYes, sir, I looked it up in the meantime and deleted my doubt. Thanks for clearing it here too.
DeleteThat shd be 2 D.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, what better expert than yourself, Kishore?
The rusty wheel needs grease
DeleteCV has answered kishore's question and mine on experts
ReplyDeleteOn seeing the headlines, i thought it might be K and confirmed by the tagline. We miss you Kishore very much. Yet another samosa day. TENABLE was the last to fall in for me. Thanks Nyertha.
ReplyDeleteI had not put in the tagline. Some "interloper" must have done that ;)
DeleteI did not have the patience to scroll down. Immediately after seeing the intro I jumped down to the end to check who is the NEW blogger and came to know that it is the old horse on the job!
ReplyDeleteYet again smelling samosas and missing by a whisker. British concert spoiled the show and I missed the chess move and put in 'In Passing'. The meaning and squares fit in and remembered Col.'s admonition of not filling in without the anno. But then I am not an expert, you see.
Thank you Kishore for the link for Las Vegas. I was wondering how the Spanish meadows fit in.
ReplyDeleteLV is not in Nevada, but in Kerala
Delete:D
DeleteCheerio, everyone, I gotta go now
ReplyDelete:-)
ReplyDeleteIt was quite refreshing to see our old horse blogging again! We missed you and your pun a lot Kishore...hope you are as fit as a fiddle now!
ReplyDeleteyippee doo.. quite a pleasant 10a sparkly puzzle..was 4d and Y9a most of the time as i was dead tired but the clues were smooth and it all flowed pretty well :) thanks neyartha ..
ReplyDeleteKishore, thanks for standing in. Reached Mahabalipuram at 6PM
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Deepak. Have a nice holiday
DeletePassing through Chennai?
ReplyDeleteFlowers and gems post Valentines Day :),an enjoyable crossword.
ReplyDelete