ACROSS
1 Inflammable element America discarded with the CRT coating material (8) PHOSPHOR PHOSPHOR
5 Joker's cry (6) SCREAM [DD]
9 Dispensable conifer leaf on the steamship (8) NEEDLESS {NEEDLE}{SS}
10 Attempt organiser made to shield the buyer (6) EMPTOR [T]
11 Sensibly left mat factory in disguise (6-2-6) MATTER-OF-FACTLY*
14 It's valid tender only when filthy (5) LUCRE [CD]
16 Saucer broken by upset cat getting in with some shelled arthropods (9) CRUSTACEA {CAT}* in {SAUCER}*
17 Subscriber losing head in confusion becomes more stunted (9) SCRUBBIER
19 Listener's rush to get a twilled woollen fabric (5) SERGE (~surge)
20 Genuine chip I sent up to get an alloy used in fine flatware (8,6) STERLING SILVER {STERLING} {S(+i)IL(-i)VER}
23 Thin plate flipped by a beast (6) ANIMAL <=
24 Skin tumour makes graduate acquire confidence with sacred chant (8) MELANOMA {M{ELAN}{OM}A}
25 Number of the strong oriental pushing out the Frenchman (6) EIGHTY (-m+e)EIGHTY
26 Instigate knight attached to the European Union to wear a belt (6,2) STRIKE UP {K}{EU} in {STRIP}
DOWN
1 Monarch quietly replaces the original keyboard for a network command (4) PING (-k+p)PING
2 Georgia follows Oscar and me to find the Greek character (5) OMEGA {O}{ME}{GA}
3 Caught a portable goods-moving platform with a part of a suit of armour (7) PALETTE (~pallet)
4 Upset contributors getting rid of the king's embargo (11) OBSTRUCTION CONT
6 Firm agreement (7) COMPACT [DD]
7 Spanish model at the competition climbing a station wagon (6,3) ESTATE CAR {ES}{T}{AT}{E CAR <=}
8 Lively producer, one celebrating in a noisy party? (10) MERRYMAKER {MERRY}{MAKER}
12 Newspaper featuring enclosure designed for a lighting fixture (11) FLUORESCENT {ENCLOSURE}* in {FT}
13 Does this narrow escape leave one with nary a stubble? (5,5) CLOSE SHAVE [DD]
15 Tag Prince created for a rug (9) CARPETING*
18 American criminal involved in an explosion gets a current stabiliser (7) BALLAST {B{AL}LAST}
19 Graduate turns up to participate in a silly dance with plans (7) SYLLLABI {BA<=} in {SILLY}*
21 Standoffish after commencement to show one's feelings (5) EMOTE
22 Squall amplified partly by an artificial light source (4) LAMP [T]
GRID
Compact is also a theme word. CFL is the theme
ReplyDeleteTougher than yesterday's puzzle but enjoyable at the same time. The one that I couldn't annotate was STREET CAR. Happy to have cracked, for the first time, both CWs of Neyartha in this cycle! Thank you, Neyartha. :)
ReplyDeleteMB,
ReplyDeleteNo wonder you could not annotate, since there is no 'Street car'! It is estate car.
Agree with you that it is tougher than yesterday and I had a few blanks. Put in 'Restriction' for Obstruction for 4D and got caught.
Oops! Blunder-O-Blunder!! I filled in ESTATE CAR alright but while posting/typing I wonder how STREET CAR had crept in!!! Call it memory loss!?
DeleteMB reminded me of an old classic- A sreet car named desire".
ReplyDeleteI could not get LUCRE as well as LAMP - so simple - yet deluded me. :((
ReplyDeleteCould complete the puzzle during lunchtime of factory(12.00 to 1.30); Nice challenging one; Lovely clues all round; Theme also close to heart being an electrical engineer.
ReplyDeleteRefreshing to the spirit - xword today from neyartha :) .. someone please explain 14a - CD Lucre. Do not get the valid tender bit
ReplyDeletelucre
Deletenoun (Usually facetious) money, profit, gain, riches, wealth, spoils, mammon, pelf Now they can feel less guilty about their piles of filthy lucre.
lucre noun
Something, such as coins or printed bills, used as a medium of exchange:
cash, currency, money.
Informal: wampum.
Slang: bread, cabbage, dough, gelt, green, jack, lettuce, long green, mazuma, moola, scratch.
Chiefly British: brass.
The Am
From Free Dic.